Opinion ID: 2351414
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The Complaint of Paul W. Jones

Text: On May 17, 1968, Paul W. Jones sustained personal injuries in an automobile accident and soon thereafter employed respondent as his counsel. Respondent took the case on a contingent basis, the agreement being that he would be entitled to retain as his fee one third of any recovery. About two years later the claim was settled for $449.46, and on or about June 15, 1970, respondent received the defending insurance company's check for the settlement amount. It was payable to complainant and respondent, and the check was negotiated after having been endorsed by the payees on June 22, 1970. As of the February 25, 1972 date of the hearing before the Committee on Complaints, the complainant had not received any portion of the settlement notwithstanding his repeated requests therefor. In this instance respondent attributed his failure to account with his client to a breakdown of communications, his domestic problem and his secretarial difficulties. In addition, he moved to dismiss based upon a withdrawal letter identical in form to that offered in the Swanson complaint. The committee concluded that respondent's failure to account to his client for more than two years for the modest sum received in settlement was unreasonable in the extreme and akin to embezzlement; that he had demonstrated an irresponsibility and inefficiency in the handling of his practice of law beyond any logical and reasonable standard; that his conduct amounted to a breach of trust imposed on him by his clients; and that his excuses were    too little and the attempted withdrawal too late to affect the serious consequences of his misconduct.