Opinion ID: 1442161
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The Segovia matter

Text: On or about November 14, 1983, Brenda Segovia hired petitioner to recover a $400 lease deposit. She paid petitioner $775 in attorney fees and costs. Thereafter for a period of many months in 1984 and 1985, the client made numerous telephone calls to petitioner to determine the status of her matter. Petitioner did not return her calls. The referee concluded that petitioner violated Business and Professions Code sections 6103 and 6068 by failing to respond promptly to the reasonable inquiries of his client and by failing to keep her informed of significant developments in the matter. The referee concluded, however, that the State Bar failed to show by clear and convincing evidence that petitioner failed to perform legal services, to render an accounting, to refund unearned fees or costs, or to forward the client's file to her new attorney on request.
The review department adopted the referee's finding that petitioner failed to communicate with his client. Contrary, however, to the referee's decision, the review department also found petitioner failed to perform the services for which he was hired, failed to forward the client's file to her new attorney, and failed to refund unearned fees. Based on these findings, the review department concluded that petitioner violated Business and Professions Code sections 6068, subdivision (a), and 6103, and rules 2-111(A)(2) and 2-111(A)(3).
a. We adopt the review department's conclusion that petitioner failed to communicate with his client in violation of Business and Professions Code sections 6068, subdivision (a) and 6103. Petitioner does not dispute this conclusion. b. The State Bar has indicated it is no longer certain that petitioner failed to forward the client's file to her new counsel. We therefore reject that finding as a basis for discipline. (8) c. We agree with the referee that the evidence does not support a finding that petitioner failed to return unearned fees. Although petitioner did not vigorously pursue the matter on behalf of his client, he apparently did perform the following services: (1) client consultation (one hour), (2) settlement conversations (two hours), and (3) drafting a complaint (three hours). On the record before us, we cannot determine whether these efforts entitled petitioner to the $775 paid by Segovia. The review department itself failed to determine the amount of the unearned fee, if any. The finding of a failure to return unearned fees is therefore not supported by clear and convincing evidence.