Opinion ID: 2264772
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: The Thieman Matter

Text: Respondent and his client Scott Thieman (Thieman) had an attorney-client relationship dating back to March 2007. On December 31, 2008after Respondent's license to practice law in Colorado had been suspended by the Colorado Supreme CourtRespondent received from Thieman a $5,000.00 flat-fee for the preparation and filing of a non-provisional application for patent. Respondent did not deposit Thieman's flat-fee in his trust account, but instead deposited the funds in his business checking account. These funds were entirely consumed by the end of January 2009. Only after the flat-fee had been paid, on January 19, 2009, did Respondent mail Thieman a letter disclosing that Respondent's license to practice law in Colorado had been suspended on December 5, 2008. On March 15, 2009, Thieman contacted Respondent to remind him that the deadline established by the patent office for filing the patent application was April 7, 2009. The parties set a tentative date of March 20, 2009, to review a draft application. On March 27, 2009, Thieman again contacted Respondent to point out the March 20, 2009, date had been missed and to remind him of the pending deadline. Thieman thereafter sent telephonic messages and emails to Respondent in late March 2009. In response, Respondent scheduled but then canceled appointments for April 1, 2 and 4, 2009. On April 5, 2009, Respondent again scheduled an appointment for an April 6, 2009, meeting, one day before the deadline for filing the application. On April 6 and 7, 2009, Respondent emailed documents to Thieman for review. By that time, Thieman had retained new counsel to represent him in the patent application process and attempted to review the documents with new counsel, but he was unable to do so in the short time frame provided. On the evening of April 7, 2009, Respondent emailed Thieman to tell him he had filed the application, even though he had not heard from Thieman concerning the quality of work, nor had he received authorization from Thieman to make the filing. Later that evening, Thieman emailed Respondent expressly terminating his representation. By failing to represent Thieman diligently and promptly, Respondent violated Colo. RPC 1.3. Further, Respondent violated Colo. RPC 1.15(a) and (c) by failing to safeguard Thieman's funds in trust until the funds were earned, and by failing to account to Thieman for consumption of the funds. Respondent also engaged in conduct involving dishonesty in violation of Colo. RPC 8.4(c) in two distinct respects: he knowingly exercised unauthorized dominion and control over funds belonging to Thieman; and he failed to notify Thieman of the suspension of his license to practice law.