Title: OLR v. Thomas O. Mulligan
Citation: N/A
Docket Number: 2013AP002742-D
State: Wisconsin
Issuer: Wisconsin Supreme Court
Date: May 18, 2017

2017 WI 50 
 
SUPREME COURT OF WISCONSIN 
 
 
 
 
 
CASE NO.: 
2013AP2742-D 
COMPLETE TITLE: 
In the Matter of Disciplinary Proceedings 
Against Thomas O. Mulligan, Attorney at Law: 
 
Office of Lawyer Regulation, 
          Complainant-Respondent, 
     v. 
Thomas O. Mulligan, 
          Respondent-Appellant. 
 
 
 
DISCIPLINARY PROCEEDINGS AGAINST MULLIGAN 
 
 
OPINION FILED: 
May 18, 2017 
SUBMITTED ON BRIEFS: 
        
ORAL ARGUMENT: 
 
 
 
SOURCE OF APPEAL: 
 
 
COURT: 
      
 
COUNTY: 
      
 
JUDGE: 
      
 
 
 
JUSTICES: 
 
 
CONCURRED: 
      
 
DISSENTED: 
      
 
NOT PARTICIPATING: BRADLEY, A. W., J. and ZIEGLER, J. did not 
participate.    
 
 
 
ATTORNEYS: 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2017 WI 50
NOTICE 
This opinion is subject to further 
editing and modification.  The final 
version will appear in the bound 
volume of the official reports.   
No.   2013AP2742-D 
 
 
STATE OF WISCONSIN  
 
 
   : 
IN SUPREME COURT 
 
 
In the Matter of Disciplinary Proceedings 
Against Thomas O. Mulligan, Attorney at Law:   
 
Office of Lawyer Regulation, 
 
 
Complainant-Respondent,   
 
 
v. 
 
Thomas O. Mulligan,   
 
 
Respondent-Appellant.   
FILED 
 
MAY 18, 2017 
 
Diane M. Fremgen 
Clerk of Supreme Court 
 
 
 
 
ATTORNEY reinstatement proceeding.   Reinstatement granted 
with conditions.   
 
¶1 
PER CURIAM.   We review, pursuant to Supreme Court 
Rule (SCR) 22.33(3),1 a report filed by Referee James R. 
Erickson, Jr., recommending the court reinstate the license of 
Thomas 
O. 
Mulligan 
to 
practice 
law 
in 
Wisconsin, 
with 
conditions.  After careful review of the matter, we agree that 
                                                 
1 SCR 22.33(3) provides:  "[i]f no appeal is timely filed, 
the supreme court shall review the referee's report, order 
reinstatement, with or without conditions, deny reinstatement, 
or order the parties to file briefs in the matter." 
No. 
2013AP2742-D 
 
2 
 
Attorney 
Mulligan's 
license 
should 
be 
reinstated, 
with 
conditions.  We also agree with the referee that Attorney 
Mulligan should be required to pay the full costs of this 
reinstatement proceeding, which are $2,267.95 as of March 8, 
2017. 
¶2 
Attorney Mulligan was licensed to practice law in 
Wisconsin in 1985 and is a general practitioner in Spooner, 
Wisconsin.  He has previously been disciplined by this court.  
He received private reprimands in 1997 and 2005, and received a 
court-imposed public reprimand in 2009.  In re Disciplinary 
Proceedings Against Mulligan, 2009 WI 12, 315 Wis. 2d 605, 759 
N.W.2d 766. 
¶3 
On October 8, 2015, following a lengthy contested 
disciplinary 
proceeding, 
this 
court 
suspended 
Attorney 
Mulligan's 
license 
to 
practice 
law 
for 
nine 
months 
for 
professional 
misconduct 
committed 
in 
two 
client 
matters 
including failing to enter into a fee agreement with his client, 
failing to deposit fees in trust, making cash disbursements out 
of his trust account, commingling personal funds with trust 
funds, and failing to maintain proper trust account records.  In 
re Disciplinary Proceedings Against Mulligan, 2015 WI 96, 365 
Wis. 2d 43, 870 N.W.2d 233.  Our order directed Attorney 
Mulligan to pay the Office of Lawyer Regulation (OLR) the costs 
of that proceeding.  We also ordered that, as a condition of 
reinstatement, 
Attorney 
Mulligan 
attend 
and 
successfully 
complete an OLR trust account seminar and, further, that upon 
reinstatement, Attorney Mulligan's trust account should be 
No. 
2013AP2742-D 
 
3 
 
subject to monitoring by the OLR for three years, or until 
further order of the court. 
¶4 
On July 21, 2016, Attorney Mulligan filed a petition 
seeking the reinstatement of his license to practice law in 
Wisconsin.  The OLR filed a response on December 9, 2016 stating 
that it did not oppose Attorney Mulligan's reinstatement but 
recommended, 
consistent 
with 
this 
court's 
underlying 
disciplinary order, that his reinstatement be subject to the 
conditions outlined by this court. 
¶5 
A public hearing was held on the reinstatement 
proceeding on February 8, 2017.  The referee filed his report 
and recommendation on February 17, 2017. 
¶6 
Supreme Court Rule 22.31(1) provides the standards to 
be met for reinstatement.  Specifically, Attorney Mulligan must 
show by clear, satisfactory, and convincing evidence that he has 
the moral character to practice law, that his resumption of the 
practice of law will not be detrimental to the administration of 
justice or subversive to the public interest, and that he has 
complied with SCR 22.26 and the terms of the underlying 
disciplinary 
order. 
 
In 
addition 
to 
these 
requirements, 
SCR 22.29(4)(a)-(4m) provides additional requirements that a 
petition for reinstatement must show.  All of these additional 
requirements are effectively incorporated into SCR 22.31(1). 
¶7 
When we review a referee's report and recommendation, 
we will adopt the referee's findings of fact unless they are 
clearly erroneous.  Conclusions of law are reviewed de novo.  
No. 
2013AP2742-D 
 
4 
 
See In re Disciplinary Proceedings Against Eisenberg, 2004 WI 
14, ¶5, 269 Wis. 2d 43, 675 N.W.2d 747. 
¶8 
The referee found that Attorney Mulligan has not 
practiced law during the period of his suspension; that he has 
fully complied with the terms of the underlying disciplinary 
order; that he has maintained competence and learning in the 
law; that his conduct since the suspension has been exemplary 
and above reproach; and that he has a proper understanding of 
and attitude toward the standards that are imposed upon members 
of the bar and will act in conformity with those standards.  The 
referee found that Attorney Mulligan can safely be recommended 
to the legal profession, the courts, and the public as a person 
fit to be consulted by others and to represent them and 
otherwise act in matters of trust and confidence and, in 
general, to aid in the administration of justice as a member of 
the bar and as an officer of the courts.  The referee also found 
that Attorney Mulligan has fully complied with the requirements 
set forth in SCR 22.26.  
¶9 
We note that Attorney Mulligan also complied with this 
court's directive that he attend a trust account management 
seminar sponsored by the OLR.   
¶10 The OLR received 12 letters recommending Attorney 
Mulligan's reinstatement, including letters from four attorneys, 
a U.S. Border Patrol agent, a medical doctor, and various 
clients, professional acquaintances, and friends. 
¶11 The record reflects that Attorney Mulligan has not yet 
paid in full the $17,720.02 for the costs of the underlying 
No. 
2013AP2742-D 
 
5 
 
disciplinary 
proceeding, 
but 
has 
provided 
the 
OLR 
with 
information about his financial circumstances and has made 
payment arrangements with the OLR to satisfy his obligation to 
pay those disciplinary costs.  Restitution was not ordered in 
the underlying disciplinary proceeding. 
¶12 The 
referee 
found 
that 
Attorney 
Mulligan's 
reinstatement will be beneficial to the public interest due to 
his commitment to assisting community members in a rural, 
underserved area of Wisconsin.  Mindful of the conditions this 
court imposed in its underlying disciplinary order, the referee 
recommends Attorney Mulligan's reinstatement be subject to 
continued monitoring of his trust account by the OLR for a 
period of three years or until further order of the court.  He 
also recommended we impose the costs of this reinstatement 
proceeding on Attorney Mulligan. 
¶13 We conclude that the referee's findings support a 
determination that Attorney Mulligan has met his burden to 
establish by clear, satisfactory, and convincing evidence that 
he has met all of the standards required for reinstatement and 
we agree that reinstatement is appropriate, with conditions. 
¶14 With respect to the cost of this reinstatement 
proceeding, it is this court's general practice to assess the 
full costs of a proceeding against a respondent. 
 See 
SCR 22.24(1m).  We find no extraordinary circumstances that 
would warrant a reduction in the costs imposed and we find it 
appropriate to assess the full costs of the reinstatement 
proceeding against Attorney Mulligan.   
No. 
2013AP2742-D 
 
6 
 
¶15 As is standard procedure, Attorney Mulligan may 
contact the OLR to request a payment plan that will enable 
Attorney Mulligan to pay the full costs of this proceeding in a 
matter consistent with his financial ability. 
¶16 IT IS ORDERED that within 60 days of the date of this 
order, Thomas O. Mulligan shall pay to the Office of Lawyer 
Regulation the costs of this proceeding, which are $2,267.95 as 
of March 8, 2017. 
¶17 IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the license of Thomas O. 
Mulligan to practice law in Wisconsin is reinstated, effective 
the date of this order, subject to monitoring of his trust 
account by the Office of Lawyer Regulation for a period of three 
years or until further order of this court, and upon the 
condition that he continue to make payments to the Office of 
Lawyer Regulation toward the accumulated costs assessed against 
him in this and the prior disciplinary proceeding.  
¶18 IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that compliance with all of the 
terms of this order remain a condition of Thomas O. Mulligan's 
license to practice law in Wisconsin. 
¶19 ANN WALSH BRADLEY AND ANNETTE KINGLAND ZIEGLER, JJ., 
did not participate. 
 
 
No. 
2013AP2742-D 
 
 
 
1