Title: Office of Lawyer Regulation v. Robert L. Taylor
Citation: 2003 WI 35
Docket Number: 2003AP000587-D
State: Wisconsin
Issuer: Wisconsin Supreme Court
Date: May 5, 2003

2003 WI 35 
 
 
 
SUPREME COURT OF WISCONSIN 
 
 
 
 
 
CASE NO.: 
03-0587-D 
 
 
COMPLETE TITLE: 
 
 
In the Matter of Disciplinary Proceedings 
Against Robert L. Taylor, Attorney at Law: 
 
Office of Lawyer Regulation,  
 
Complainant, 
 
v. 
Robert L. Taylor,  
 
Respondent. 
 
 
 
 
DISCIPLINARY PROCEEDINGS AGAINST TAYLOR 
 
 
OPINION FILED: 
May 5, 2003   
SUBMITTED ON BRIEFS: 
        
ORAL ARGUMENT: 
        
 
 
SOURCE OF APPEAL: 
 
 
COURT: 
        
 
COUNTY: 
        
 
JUDGE: 
        
 
 
 
JUSTICES: 
 
 
CONCURRED: 
        
 
DISSENTED: 
        
 
NOT PARTICIPATING:         
 
 
 
ATTORNEYS: 
 
      
 
 
2003 WI 35 
 
 
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.  03-0587-D  
 
 
In the Matter of Disciplinary Proceedings 
Against Robert L. Taylor, Attorney at Law: 
 
Office of Lawyer Regulation,  
 
          Complainant, 
 
     v. 
 
Robert L. Taylor,  
 
          Respondent. 
 
FILED 
 
MAY 5, 2003 
 
Cornelia G. Clark 
Clerk of Supreme Court 
Madison, WI 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The Court entered the following order on this date: 
 
Attorney Robert L. Taylor has filed a petition for 
consensual license revocation under SCR 22.19(3).  He was 
admitted to practice law in Wisconsin in 1979 but his license 
was revoked in 1987 and has not been reinstated.   
 
The 
Office 
of 
Lawyer 
Regulation 
(OLR) 
is 
currently 
investigating Attorney Taylor in four matters, all involving his 
pre-1987 revocation conduct.  One of the matters involves a 1990 
federal 
criminal 
conviction 
of 
conspiracy 
to 
defraud 
by 
misapplying funds and embezzlement from a federal credit union.  
The other three matters involve Attorney Taylor’s representation 
of three clients during a 1985 period during which his license 
had been suspended for failure to comply with continuing legal 
education requirements.  In addition, OLR is investigating 
Attorney Taylor in these three matters for allegations involving 
charging an illegal or clearly excessive fee, neglect of a legal 
No. 03-0587-D 
 
2 
matter, failure to promptly pay or deliver to the client funds 
in the attorney’s possession to which the client was entitled, 
and failure to return unearned fees.  In his petition, Attorney 
Taylor acknowledges that he cannot successfully defend himself 
against these allegations. 
 
OLR has responded and recommends that the petition be 
granted.  Both OLR and Attorney Taylor request that the 
revocation be made retroactive to December 14, 1992, the date on 
which Attorney Taylor could have first sought reinstatement from 
the 1987 revocation.  They submit that it would be unfair to 
prospectively revoke Attorney Taylor’s license for conduct that 
occurred over 15 years ago and prior to the 1987 revocation. 
 
IT IS ORDERED that the petition for consensual license 
revocation of Attorney Robert L. Taylor is granted.  Retroactive 
revocations are not a typical sanction but it is appropriate 
under these unusual circumstances.  The revocation of his 
license to practice law in Wisconsin shall be effective December 
14, 1992.  To the extent he has not already done so, Attorney 
Taylor must comply with SCR 22.26 relating to activities 
following license revocation.   
 
 
 
 
No. 03-0587-D 
 
2