Opinion ID: 2523793
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: COUNT 3 Pui-Ching Chai

Text: ¶ 11 On September 25, 2002, Pui-Ching Chai contracted for legal services with the respondent, and paid her $1,500.00 to file an Alien Employment Certification. On April 27, 2005, she paid an additional $400.00 for a Permanent Labor Certification to expedite the process. From May to October 2005, Ms. Chai paid additional monies to advertise her job in the newspaper, which was required to prove she was not taking a job from a U.S. citizen. When she was unable to obtain the certification sought she terminated the respondent and hired another lawyer. This lawyer investigated Ms. Chai's status and found that the case had been closed for several years. Ms. Chai's efforts to revive and/or reopen the case were unsuccessful, and she was then forced to proceed under an I-485 application for Permanent Residency, which was filed October 4, 2006, and which is still pending. ¶ 12 The grievance filed by Ms. Chai on August 8, 2008, complained that the respondent failed to file the appropriate documents in her immigration matter and failed to advise her that her case had been closed. The respondent did not respond to the letters sent by the Office of the General Counsel. Although the respondent agreed to respond to Ms. Chai's allegations during her September 19, 2008, deposition, she did not. ¶ 13 The respondent's acts of misconduct in Count 3 constitute professional misconduct in violation of Rules 1.1, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, and 8.1(b), ORPC, 5 O.S.2001, as modified by 5 O.S.Supp.2008, ch. 1, app. 3-A, and Rules 1.3 and 5.2, RGDP, 5 O.S.2001, ch. 1, app. 1-A.