Opinion ID: 2297419
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 8

Heading: Violations Related to Representation of Donna Eyles

Text: We also agree that Ms. Camus committed the violations found by Judge North with respect to her representation of Donna Eyles. MLRPC 1.1 codifies the lawyer's duty to provide competent representation. In her exceptions, Ms. Camus argues that, contrary to the view of Judge North and the two other attorneys who represented Ms. Eyles, her decision to pursue a challenge to the prenuptial agreement was a justifiable approach to the divorce case. Ms. Camus characterizes it as a matter of professional judgment made in good faith, and argues that such a judgment should not later, with the benefit of hindsight, be scrutinized as a question of competence. In deciding whether she satisfied her duty to provide competent representation, however, we do not consider her litigation strategy in a vacuum. Viewed as a whole, Ms. Camus' representation of Ms. Eyles fell below the standard of a competent practitioner. The record demonstrates a general mishandling of Ms. Eyles' case. Ms. Camus was unready for multiple proceedings and forced to seek postponements [11] ; when the proceedings were held, she was often late and inadequately prepared. [12] Apart from scheduling and discovery, the only significant motion that she litigated in the case was a motion to enforce an attorney's lien on the divorce settlementa motion that the circuit court denied on the ground that her participation in the case had not contributed to the amount of the settlement. The representation was also marked by a failure to communicate with her client. For example, Ms. Camus failed to inform Ms. Eyles of court dates, and did not explain to her that documents given to the forensic psychologist would be discoverable by opposing counsel. Ms. Camus did not send Ms. Eyles a billing statement when she requested one; the only bill that she did send came on the heels of Ms. Eyles' complaint to the Commission. In her exceptions, Ms. Camus asserts that there was a reasonable (if imperfect) level of communication between her and her client, and describes the lack of billing information as a minor oversight. But the omissions found by Judge North in Ms. Camus' communications with her client demonstrate that Ms. Camus did not keep Ms. Eyles reasonably informed about the status of her case or promptly comply with reasonable requests for information, as required by MLRPC 1.4(a). By not making the discovery procedures clear, Ms. Camus also failed to explain a matter to the extent reasonably necessary to permit the client to make informed decisions regarding the representation, as required by MLRPC 1.4(b). Judge North concluded that the bill for $100,096.48 that Ms. Camus sent Ms. Eyles in the wake of the client's complaint to the Commission violated MLRPC 1.5(a), which prohibits the charging of an unreasonable fee or an unreasonable amount for expenses. Taking exception to this conclusion, Ms. Camus argues that the Commission did not prove the fee to be unreasonable, while she herself provided slim support for the fee with respect to any of the eight factors listed in MLRPC 1.5(a). The available evidence demonstrates that the fee was unreasonable. Among the factors that may be considered under MLRPC 1.5(a) are the time and labor required, the novelty and difficulty of the questions involved, and the skill requisite to perform the legal service properly. Much of the fee was attributed to Ms. Camus' decision to attack the prenuptial agreement. Judge North found that the amount of time that Ms. Camus claimed to have spent researching the enforceability of the prenuptial agreement was unnecessary given that she claimed family law as her primary area of practice, that disputes about prenuptial agreements are primarily questions of contract, and that this agreement was not particularly complex or novel. [13] Billing for unnecessary work is unreasonable. MLRPC 1.5(a) also suggests consideration of the amount involved and the results obtaineda factor that does not inure in favor of this bill, as the only results obtained by Ms. Camus were numerous continuances of the proceedings. The remaining factors of MLRPC 1.5(a) do not counsel a different conclusion. For example, MLRPC 1.5(a)(2) suggests consideration of whether the representation will preclude other employment of the lawyer, but Ms. Camus' workload at the time was only six to eight cases. We agree with Judge North that Ms. Camus' $100,096.48 legal bill was unreasonable and a violation of MLRPC 1.5(a). The belated and unreasonable bill was not Ms. Camus' only regrettable decision regarding financial matters. On Ms. Camus' advice, Ms. Eyles transferred $11,900 from a bank account, held jointly with her estranged husband, into Ms. Camus' trust account for safekeeping. Ms. Camus did not notify Ms. Eyles' husband or his counsel that she had received the funds, thus violating MLRPC 1.15(d) (Upon receiving funds or other property in which a client or third person has an interest, a lawyer shall promptly notify the client or third person.). Ms. Camus later took the $11,900, in its entirety, for herself, purportedly for legal fees. She did this without informing Ms. Eyles or obtaining her permission, and without keeping any record of the transaction. In doing so, she disregarded her obligations under MLRPC 1.15(a) (A lawyer shall hold property of clients or third persons that is in a lawyer's possession ... separate from the lawyer's own property). Ms. Camus portrays the dispute about the trust account funds as a genuine misunderstanding as to the purpose of the funds. She argues that, because her client had already given her $8,000 to cover requested legal fees without asking for a billing statement, she believed that she could draw from the $11,900 in the trust account without informing Ms. Eyles that she was doing so. The logic of this explanation escapes us. As was the case in her relationship with Ms. Martin, Ms. Camus' misconduct did not terminate with the termination of the attorney-client relationship. Under MLRPC 1. 16, Ms. Camus had a duty to protect Ms. Eyles' interests even after the termination of the representation. Ms. Camus refused to release files to Ms. Eyles' new attorney until her fees had been paid, even though she had not yet provided Ms. Eyles with a bill. Despite promising to turn the files over to the successor attorney, she never did so. In her exceptions, Ms. Camus conceded that she violated MLRPC 1.16 in failing to turn over Ms. Eyles' file to successor counsel, but asserts that she did not intend to injure the client by her inaction. In connection with the Commission's investigation of her conduct, Ms. Camus failed to provide timely answers to Bar Counsel's inquiries. She repeatedly missed deadlines and requested extensions during May and June 2010. Those delays were minor when compared to the more than 15 months that passed before Ms. Camus replied to Bar Counsel's July 14, 2010 inquiry about her representation of Ms. Eyles. This consistent inability to comply with reasonable deadlines set by Bar Counsel violated MLRPC 8.1(b), which states that a lawyer shall not knowingly fail to respond to a lawful demand for information from a disciplinary authority. [14] Finally, these numerous instances of misconduct also violated various sections of MLRPC 8.4. Wilful misuse of trust funds deposited in an attorney trust account is a criminal act. See Maryland Code, Business Occupations & Professions Article, § § 10-303, 10-606(b). In taking the $11,900 from the trust account for herselfwithout informing Ms. Eyles or receiving her authorizationMs. Camus committed a criminal act that reflects adversely on [her] honesty, trustworthiness or fitness as a lawyer in other respects and therefore violated MLRPC 8.4(b). [15] Such misappropriation is also conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit or misrepresentation in violation of MLRPC 8.4(c). Furthermore, in requesting a continuance of the February 5 hearing on the enforceability of the prenuptial agreement, Ms. Camus told the circuit court that extra time was needed because the forensic psychologist was unprepared. This was not true; the psychologist had indicated that he would be ready for the hearing and had, in fact, been prepared to testify on January 28. This false statement to the court also constituted conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit or misrepresentation. These actions by Ms. Camus may likewise be characterized as conduct that is prejudicial to the administration of justice under MLRPC 8.4(d).