Opinion ID: 2485199
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: The DeGruy Matter

Text: In 1992, respondent began representing Gregory DeGruy in a previously filed lawsuit based on Mr. DeGruy's employment related personal injury claim. Respondent did not have a written contingency fee agreement with Mr. DeGruy. During the course of the representation, respondent failed to attend a March 10, 1997 deposition of his client's medical expert. On other occasions, respondent allowed his paralegal, Charles Williams, to attend and participate in depositions with and on behalf of Mr. DeGruy. [2] Eventually, respondent wished to withdraw from the representation, and the court allowed him to do so by order dated July 12, 2000. Respondent attached to his motion to withdraw a letter stating his opinion that Mr. DeGruy's case was worth approximately $50,000 and not the $4.5 million Mr. DeGruy claimed it was worth. Two weeks before the trial date, which was set for some time in August 2000, attorney Eric Person began representing Mr. DeGruy. In October 2000, Mr. Person settled Mr. DeGruy's case for $65,000. After the case was dismissed, respondent filed a petition for intervention, to collect expenses and a percentage of the attorney's fees. However, respondent's intervention was dismissed as untimely. As such, in November 2000, respondent filed a lawsuit against Mr. DeGruy, Mr. Person, and the defendant in Mr. DeGruy's lawsuit, claiming they conspired to deprive him of his attorney's fee. Respondent and Mr. Person eventually settled their fee dispute and filed a joint motion to dismiss the lawsuit. In July 2004, Mr. DeGruy filed a disciplinary complainant against respondent. In addition to the above facts, Mr. DeGruy's complaint alleged that 1) respondent requested or consented to a number of continuances without informing him; 2) respondent did not return numerous telephone calls from him; and 3) respondent did not reply to requests for information from him. The ODC alleged respondent violated the following provisions of the Rules of Professional Conduct: Rules 1.3 (failure to act with reasonable diligence and promptness in representing a client), 1.4 (failure to communicate with a client), 1.5(a) (charging an unreasonable fee), 1.5(b) (the scope of the representation and the basis or rate of the fee and expenses for which the client will be responsible shall be communicated to the client, preferably in writing, before or within a reasonable time after commencing the representation), 1.5(c) (contingency fee agreements), 1.6(a) (a lawyer shall not reveal information relating to the representation of a client), 1.16(b)(1) (a lawyer may withdraw from representing a client if withdrawal can be accomplished without material adverse effect on the interests of the client), 1.16(d) (obligations upon termination of the representation), 3.2 (failure to make reasonable efforts to expedite litigation), 5.3, 8.4(a), and 8.4(c).