Title: Office of Lawyer Regulation v. William D. Whitnall
Citation: 2003 WI 146
Docket Number: 2003AP002535-D
State: Wisconsin
Issuer: Wisconsin Supreme Court
Date: November 17, 2003

2003 WI 146 
 
 
 
SUPREME COURT OF WISCONSIN 
 
 
 
 
 
CASE NO.: 
03-2535-D 
COMPLETE TITLE: 
 
 
In the Matter of Disciplinary Proceedings 
Against William D. Whitnall, Attorney at Law: 
 
Office of Lawyer Regulation,  
          Complainant, 
     v. 
William D. Whitnall,  
          Respondent. 
 
 
 
 
DISCIPLINARY PROCEEDINGS AGAINST WHITNALL 
 
 
OPINION FILED: 
November 17, 2003   
SUBMITTED ON BRIEFS: 
        
ORAL ARGUMENT: 
        
 
 
SOURCE OF APPEAL: 
 
 
COURT: 
        
 
COUNTY: 
        
 
JUDGE: 
        
 
 
 
JUSTICES: 
 
 
CONCURRED: 
        
 
DISSENTED: 
        
 
NOT PARTICIPATING:         
 
 
 
ATTORNEYS: 
 
      
 
 
2003 WI 146 
 
 
SUPREME COURT OF WISCONSIN 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
NOTICE 
This order is subject to further 
editing and modification.  The 
final version will appear in the 
bound volume of the official 
reports.   
 
 
 
No.  03-2535-D 
 
 
In the Matter of Disciplinary Proceedings 
Against William D. Whitnall, Attorney at Law: 
 
Office of Lawyer Regulation,  
 
          Complainant, 
 
     v. 
 
William D. Whitnall,  
 
          Respondent. 
 
FILED 
 
NOV 17, 2003 
 
Cornelia G. Clark 
Clerk of Supreme Court 
Madison, WI 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The Court entered the following order on this date: 
 
Attorney William D. Whitnall has filed a petition for 
consensual 
license 
revocation 
pursuant 
to 
SCR 
22.19(3).  
Whitnall was admitted to practice law in 1968 but his license 
has been under suspension since November 22, 1999 and he has not 
been reinstated.  Disciplinary Proceedings Against Whitnall, 
2000 WI 131, 239 Wis. 2d 721, 619 N.W.2d 926.   
 
The 
Office 
of 
Lawyer 
Regulation 
(OLR) 
is 
currently 
investigating Whitnall concerning allegations of misconduct in 
his representation of two different clients.  In those matters, 
the Preliminary Review Committee has found cause to proceed 
against Whitnall with respect to six professional misconduct 
rule violations including:  
 
OLR File No. 99-081110 -- failing to act with reasonable 
diligence and promptness in representing a client in violation 
No.   
03-2535-D 
2 
of SCR 20:1.3; failing to inform a client of an offer of 
settlement and to abide by his client’s decision whether to 
accept an offer of settlement in violation of SCR 20:1.2(a); 
failing to surrender papers and property to which his client was 
entitled in violation of SCR 20:1.16(d). 
 
OLR File No. 01-091117 -- failing to file a lawsuit or 
settle a client’s claim within the statute of limitations 
thereby failing to act with reasonable diligence and promptness 
in representing a client in violation of SCR 20:1.3; failing to 
respond to a client’s inquiries regarding the status of her 
lawsuit thereby failing to keep a client reasonably informed 
about the status of a matter and to promptly comply with 
reasonable 
requests 
for 
information 
in 
violation 
of 
SCR 
20:1.4(a); and failing to inform his client of the applicable 
statute of limitations so the client could make an informed 
decision about retaining other counsel prior to the expiration 
of the statute of limitations period, thereby failing to explain 
a matter to the extent reasonably necessary to permit the client 
to make informed decisions regarding the representation in 
violation of SCR 20:1.4(b). 
 
In his petition, Attorney Whitnall acknowledges that he 
cannot successfully defend against the pending allegations. 
 
OLR has responded to Whitnall’s petition for consensual 
license revocation and recommends that the petition be granted.  
Accordingly, 
 
IT IS ORDERED Attorney William D. Whitnall’s petition for 
consensual license revocation is granted and his license to 
practice law in this state is revoked as of the date of this 
order. 
 
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that to the extent that he has 
already not done so, William D. Whitnall must comply with SCR 
22.26 relating to activities following license revocation. 
 
 
 
No.   
03-2535-D 
2