Opinion ID: 1566350
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Count IIIThe Hampton Matter

Text: Respondent has never been admitted to the practice of law in Texas. Nonetheless, on March 31, 2004, Linda Hampton hired respondent to represent her in a personal injury matter, based on a slip and fall incident that occurred on July 19, 2003 in Harris County, Texas. The prescription date was July 19, 2005. Between May 13, 2005 and June 10, 2005, respondent corresponded with two Texas attorneys about undertaking Ms. Hampton's representation. However, neither wished to do so because of a perceived lack of merit. Between March 31, 2004 and July 19, 2005, respondent did not send a settlement demand or otherwise correspond with the apparent defendants in Ms. Hampton's case. Furthermore, although Ms. Hampton's accident occurred on July 19, 2003, respondent prepared a petition for damages that inaccurately listed the accident date as August 19, 2003. Respondent signed the petition, stating he had been admitted pro hac vice when he did not submit a motion for pro hac vice admission in the case. On August 19, 2005, respondent fax-filed the petition with the district court in Harris County, Texas. Accordingly, respondent did not timely file the petition on Ms. Hampton's behalf. During the representation, respondent communicated with Ms. Hampton. However, he failed to keep her properly and accurately advised of the status of the case. He failed to inform her that he had not timely filed the lawsuit on her behalf, had not been admitted pro hac vice in her case, and had not submitted a motion for pro hac vice admission. On June 30, 2006, another lawyer contacted respondent on Ms. Hampton's behalf after Ms. Hampton complained to him that respondent would not meet with or speak to her. Despite Ms. Hampton's requests for her file, respondent did not send a copy of her file to her until December 2006, more than one year after the lawsuit was filed and after she filed a disciplinary complaint against him. The ODC alleged respondent's conduct violated the following provisions of the Rules of Professional Conduct: Rules 1.3, 1.4, 1.16(d), 3.3(a)(1) (a lawyer shall not knowingly make a false statement of fact or law to a tribunal or fail to correct a false statement of material fact or law previously made to the tribunal by the lawyer), 5.5(a) (engaging in the unauthorized practice of law), 8.4(c), and 8.4(d). [5] Respondent stipulated that he violated the Rules of Professional Conduct as alleged.