Title: Office of Lawyer Regulation v. Anne E. Brown
Citation: 2013 WI 45
Docket Number: 2013AP000732-D
State: Wisconsin
Issuer: Wisconsin Supreme Court
Date: May 17, 2013

2013 WI 45 
 
SUPREME COURT OF WISCONSIN 
 
 
 
 
 
CASE NO.: 
2013AP732-D   
COMPLETE TITLE: 
In the Matter of Disciplinary Proceedings 
Against  
Anne E. Brown, Attorney at Law: 
 
Office of Lawyer Regulation, 
          Complainant, 
     v. 
Anne E. Brown, 
          Respondent.   
 
 
 
 
DISCIPLINARY PROCEEDINGS AGAINST BROWN     
 
 
OPINION FILED: 
May 17, 2013  
SUBMITTED ON BRIEFS: 
        
ORAL ARGUMENT: 
        
 
 
SOURCE OF APPEAL: 
 
 
COURT: 
        
 
COUNTY: 
        
 
JUDGE: 
        
 
 
 
JUSTICES: 
 
 
CONCURRED: 
        
 
DISSENTED: 
        
 
NOT PARTICIPATING:         
 
 
 
ATTORNEYS: 
 
 
 
 
 
2013 WI 45
NOTICE 
This opinion is subject to further 
editing and modification.  The final 
version will appear in the bound 
volume of the official reports.   
No.   2013AP732-D 
 
 
STATE OF WISCONSIN  
 
 
   : 
IN SUPREME COURT 
 
 
In the Matter of Disciplinary Proceedings 
Against Anne E. Brown, Attorney at Law: 
 
Office of Lawyer Regulation, 
 
          Complainant, 
 
     v. 
 
Anne E. Brown, 
 
          Respondent. 
 
FILED 
 
MAY 17, 2013 
 
Diane M. Fremgen 
Clerk of Supreme Court 
 
 
 
 
ATTORNEY 
disciplinary 
proceeding.   Attorney's 
license 
revoked.   
 
¶1 
PER CURIAM.   Attorney Anne E. Brown has filed a 
petition for consensual license revocation under SCR 22.19.1  
                                                 
1 SCR 22.19 states as follows:  Petition for consensual 
license revocation. 
 
(1) An 
attorney 
who 
is 
the 
subject 
of 
an 
investigation 
for 
possible 
misconduct 
or 
the 
respondent in a proceeding may file with the supreme 
No. 
2013AP732-D   
 
2 
 
Attorney Brown was admitted to the practice of law in Wisconsin 
in 1984.  She was privately reprimanded in 2006 and again in 
2007.  In 2012 her license to practice law was suspended for two 
years as a result of various trust account violations and 
failing to cooperate with the investigation of a grievance filed 
with the Office of Lawyer Regulation (OLR).  In re Disciplinary 
                                                                                                                                                             
court a petition for the revocation by consent or his 
or her license to practice law.   
 
(2) The petition shall state that the petitioner 
cannot successfully defend against the allegations of 
misconduct. 
 
(3) If a complaint has not been filed, the 
petition shall be filed in the supreme court and shall 
include the director's summary of the misconduct 
allegations being investigated.  Within 20 days after 
the date of filing of the petition, the director shall 
file in the supreme court a recommendation on the 
petition.  Upon a showing of good cause, the supreme 
court may extend the time for filing a recommendation. 
 
(4) If a complaint has been filed, the petition 
shall be filed in the supreme court and served on the 
director and on the referee to whom the proceeding has 
been assigned.  Within 20 days after the filing of the 
petition, the director shall file in the supreme court 
a response in support of or in opposition to the 
petition and serve a copy on the referee.  Upon a 
showing of good cause, the supreme court may extend 
the time for filing a response.  The referee shall 
file a report and recommendation on the petition in 
the supreme court within 30 days after receipt of the 
director's response. 
 
(5) The supreme court shall grant the petition 
and revoke the petitioner's license to practice law or 
deny the petition and remand the matter to the 
director or to the referee for further proceedings.   
No. 
2013AP732-D   
 
3 
 
Proceedings Against Brown, 2012 WI 51, 340 Wis. 2d 527, 814 
N.W.2d 172.  Her license remains suspended. 
¶2 
Attorney Brown is currently the subject of six 
additional OLR investigations into her conduct.  The Preliminary 
Review Committee found cause to proceed on 26 counts of 
misconduct arising out of the six investigations.  The alleged 
misconduct includes instances where Attorney Brown sought and 
received advanced fees, did not follow the advanced fee 
alternatives in SCR 20:1.15(b)(4m), did little or nothing for 
her clients and discontinued contact with them, failed to 
provide written fee agreements as required, failed to respond to 
requests for accountings of advanced fees, failed to refund 
unearned advanced fees, failed to timely file documents in a 
divorce case, and failed to timely respond to the OLR's 
investigative inquiries.  
¶3 
Attorney Brown admits that she cannot successfully 
defend against the allegations of the grievance investigations.  
The OLR supports Attorney Brown's petition for consensual 
license revocation.  The OLR asks that Attorney Brown be ordered 
to make restitution in favor of five clients, and to the extent 
that the State Bar of Wisconsin Lawyers' Fund for Client 
Protection (the Fund) has reimbursed any of those clients, then 
the Fund should be so reimbursed.  The OLR does not seek an 
assessment of costs.   
¶4 
We determine that the petition for consensual license 
revocation should be granted and that Attorney Brown's license 
No. 
2013AP732-D   
 
4 
 
to practice law should be revoked effective the date of this 
order. 
¶5 
IT IS ORDERED that the license of Anne E. Brown to 
practice law in Wisconsin is revoked effective the date of this 
order. 
¶6 
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that Anne E. Brown shall comply 
with the provisions of SCR 22.26 concerning the duties of an 
attorney whose license to practice law has been revoked, to the 
extent she has not already done so. 
¶7 
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that within 60 days of the date 
of this order Anne E. Brown shall make restitution to the 
following clients.  To the extent that the State Bar of 
Wisconsin Lawyers' Fund for Client Protection has reimbursed any 
client at the time restitution is paid, then the Fund shall be 
so reimbursed: 
In favor of Client J.G.:  
 
 
$2,500 
In favor of Client D.W.:  
 
 
$6,042.96 
In favor of Client J.B.:  
 
 
$2,500 
In favor of Client K.W.:  
 
 
$2,500 
In favor of the Fund (Client K.T.): 
$1,850 
¶8 
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the Director of the Office 
of Lawyer Regulation shall advise the court if there has not 
been full compliance with all conditions of this order.