Opinion ID: 1188922
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Willful Deceit or Misconduct

Text: ORS 9.527 provides, in part: The Supreme Court may disbar, suspend or reprimand a member of the bar whenever, upon proper proceedings for that purpose, it appears to the court that:      (4) The member is guilty of willful deceit or misconduct in the legal profession. As discussed above, the accused led his clients to believe that he had prepared valid wills and directives to physicians as part of the living trust packages. He knew that those documents were not valid if they were not properly witnessed, and he caused them to be improperly witnessed. The accused willfully deceived nearly 300 clients; he violated ORS 9.527(4). See, e.g., In re Fuller, 284 Or. 273, 278, 586 P.2d 1111 (1978) (accused violated former ORS 9.480(4) (earlier version of ORS 9.527(4)) when he represented to clients that he filed an action when he had not done so, made false representations to opposing lawyer, and failed to inform clients that he had settled case).