Opinion ID: 836502
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Reinstatement Application

Text: When his disciplinary suspension expired, the accused submitted an application for reinstatement, on which he attested that he had not engaged in the practice of law during the period of his suspension. In its sixth cause of complaint, the Bar alleges that the accused violated DR 1-102(A)(3) by falsely representing on his reinstatement application that he had not practiced law during his disciplinary suspension. The accused responds that he did not practice law during his disciplinary suspension or, in the alternative, that he did not knowingly make a misrepresentation on his application for reinstatement because, at the time he signed the reinstatement application, he believed that his conduct in negotiating and drafting the settlement agreement in the Stine v. Hallock matter was not the practice of law. The trial panel concluded that the accused was not credible on this point, and this court gives weight to that assessment. See In re Brown, 326 Or. 582, 598, 956 P.2d 188 (1998) (court gives weight to trial panel assessment of credibility). As discussed above, we find that the accused practiced law during his disciplinary suspension in the Stine v. Hallock matter. The accused does not dispute the trial panel's findings with respect to his practicing law in the Hallock v. Sass matter during his disciplinary suspension. The accused's testimony regarding his conduct after November 30, 1993, resolves any doubt about this matter:  I went ahead and did things on behalf of Mr. Hallock which constitute the practice of law while I was suspended. I have real conflict between my remorse having done that andI don't want to say pride because that's not the right word. But being able to look in the mirror and realize that I went ahead and helped a client as best I could. Tremendous personal risk, obviously. And I'm not the only one that is going to pay the price for that.  I was stupid from an attorney's perspective. Not only was I hanging myself out to dry, I wasn't getting paid for it.  The record is replete with evidence that the accused practiced law during his disciplinary suspension, knew that he did so, and falsely represented to the contrary on his reinstatement application. We find that the accused violated DR 1-102(A)(3) by claiming on his reinstatement application that he did not practice law during the period of his disciplinary suspension.