Opinion ID: 1213851
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Failure to Communicate the Offer

Text: Mr. and Mrs. R both testified that respondent never told them about the written settlement offer. The hearing committee concluded that their testimony was credible and supported by the overwhelming evidence in the case. Conversely, respondent and his secretary swore that he did convey the offer, but they were not believed. The committee determined that respondent's taped telephone statements supported the clients' version of the facts and were clearly inconsistent with disclosure of the written settlement offer. The committee was also influenced by the absence of corroborating evidence. There was no correspondence reflecting transmittal of the offer to the clients (respondent claiming he handed Mrs. R a copy in person); no appointment calendar showing the alleged meeting (respondent explaining that he discarded his old calendars when he relocated his office); no phone records or bills documenting the calls allegedly made to set up the appointment; and no notes in the file about the purported meeting. With respect to the last item, respondent maintained that someone had removed his notes from the file, most likely while it was in the clients' possession. The committee concluded that respondent failed to communicate the settlement offer to his clients, in violation of ER 1.2 and ER 1.4. The commission agreed. We believe the evidence was sufficient to support this conclusion.