Opinion ID: 1251685
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: The Rosie G. Matter

Text: In the spring of 1978, Ms. G. retained petitioner to appeal one provision of a property settlement which had been entered as part of a dissolution proceeding against her second husband. She also wanted petitioner to pursue a claim for child support against her first husband. After she retained petitioner, he repeatedly failed to return her calls. He also failed to keep appointments to see her. He did at some point discuss the property settlement with Ms. G.'s former attorney, and he succeeded in getting this attorney to attempt to have the objectionable provision set aside. He also attempted to ascertain whether more child support could be obtained from the first husband, who lived in Southern California and was on disability at the time. In 1979, Ms. G. consulted the local Legal Aid office about the dissolution and child support cases. Legal Aid attorneys wrote and telephoned petitioner several times during the summer of 1979 in an effort to obtain Ms. G.'s file. Petitioner failed to respond to the letters and calls. At the hearing, petitioner testified that he did not remember receiving any of the Legal Aid letters for they were sent to his Oakland office after he moved to Hayward. He also claimed not to remember any of the telephone calls. However, he admitted that he was aware that Legal Aid was seeking Ms. G.'s file. He testified that he did not actually have a file, but only some letters which he had written in connection with the child support claim against Ms. G.'s first husband. However, as the Legal Aid letters indicate, petitioner did agree to turn over whatever materials he had in his possession but failed to do so. The hearing panel rejected the State Bar's allegations that petitioner did minimal or no work for Ms. G. and that he kept an unearned portion of her fee. However, the panel did find that petitioner wilfully and intentionally violated rule 2-111(A)(2) in failing to return her file and documents. Petitioner does not challenge this finding.