Opinion ID: 2639202
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Telephone Conversation with James P. Barton, Jr. Shortly Before September 29, 1999

Text: 13. Prior to September 29, 1999, the Respondent offered to provide Mr. Barton, counsel for Mr. Small, with negative information relating to the representation of Ms. Eichenwald. The Respondent made the offer to Mr. Barton conditioned upon reaching a settlement agreement beneficial to Ms. Worthington and Ms. Fuller and detrimental to Ms. Eichenwald. The offer to provide information, in violation of KRPC 1.6(a), was refused by Mr. Barton. 14. KRPC 8.4(a) provides that it is professional misconduct to `[v]iolate or attempt to violate the rules of professional conduct.' Id. In the criminal law setting, the Kansas legislature has defined `attempt' as `any overt act toward the perpetration of a crime done by a person who intends to commit such crime but fails in the perpetration thereof or is prevented or intercepted in executing such crime.' K.S.A. 21-3301(a). Thus, to find that the Respondent attempted to violate KRPC 1.6(a), the Hearing Panel would have to find that the Respondent committed an overt act toward the violation of KRPC 1.6(a). In this case, during the telephone conversation with Mr. Barton, the Respondent offered to provide Mr. Barton with information in violation of KRPC 1.6(a). The offer of information is an overt act done toward the perpetration of a violation of KRPC 1.6(a). 15. By offering to reveal information relating to the representation of Ms. Eichenwald, the Respondent, again, sought to do the opposite of what the Kansas Rules of Professional Conduct require him to do. The Respondent's ethical obligation to Ms. Eichenwald continued after she ended their personal relationship. The Respondent's ethical obligation to Ms. Eichenwald continued after he `fired' her as a client. The Respondent's ethical obligation to Ms. Eichenwald was to make every effort to avoid revealing information relating to her representation. Because the Respondent attempted to violate KRPC 1.6(a) by offering to reveal information relating to the representation of Ms. Eichenwald to Mr. Barton, the Hearing Panel concludes that the Respondent violated KRPC 8.4(a).