Opinion ID: 2227608
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The Escrow

Text: The first of the two charges against petitioner that the Commission sustained in this proceeding arose out of petitioner's private law practice. In 1999, while petitioner was representing the executrix of an estate, a tax refund check, made out to the executrix, was sent to petitioner. Without his client's knowledge or consent, petitioner deposited the check in his escrow account and then wrote a check on that account to himself for his attorney's fee. As a result of this action, petitioner was suspended from the practice of law for one year. ( Matter of Cerbone, 295 AD2d 66 [2d Dept 2002].) In choosing to suspend petitioner rather than to disbar him the Appellate Division relied upon the totality of circumstances, including the absence of venality. ( Id. at 68.)