Opinion ID: 1872312
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Denise Brenda Moyers Matter

Text: Denise Brenda Moyers retained Threadgill in 2001 to sue UNUM Life Insurance Company (UNUM) regarding an allegedly premature cessation of disability payments. [14] The parties agreed to a contingency fee arrangement. The case settled for $7,500 in June 2003. UNUM mailed the settlement check on June 18, 2003. Threadgill admits that, on June 23, 2003, a staff member deposited the check into his general operating account, rather than into his trust account. In February 2004, Moyers first discovered that her case had settled when she contacted UNUM, which advised that the check had been mailed to her attorney and deposited by him in the prior year. Moyers then contacted Threadgill, who had not consulted her file or contacted her since he deposited the settlement check. Threadgill gave Moyers a check for $5,000. Moyers took the check directly to Threadgill's bank, which initially declined to cash the check because of insufficient funds in the account on which it was drawn. Threadgill testified that, after he spoke with the bank and explained that he had made a deposit the same day which had not yet cleared, Moyers was able to cash the check. Upset, Moyers communicated to Threadgill that he should not be entitled to collect any fee under these circumstances. Threadgill refunded his $2,500 contingency fee, such that Moyers ultimately obtained all of the settlement proceeds. The Panel found that Threadgill violated RPC 1.15(a) by failing to keep money owed to Moyers separate from his personal and office accounts. The Panel concluded that the placement of Moyers's funds into Threadgill's operating account further violated RPC 1.15, 1.16, [15] and 8.4. [16] The Panel determined that Threadgill's failure to communicate with Moyers about the status of her case through a prompt accounting violated RPC 1.4 [17] and 1.15(b). Finally, the Panel found that Threadgill's failure to monitor Moyers's settlement proceeds violated RPC 1.1 [18] and 1.3. [19]