Opinion ID: 2087719
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Complaint of Jessie Smolen

Text: The complaint of Jessie Smolen alleged the failure to pay pharmacy bills owed by four of respondent's clients that were supposed to be paid by respondent from the proceeds of the four clients' settlements. Judge Strausberg found that all four of the clients had endorsed their settlement checks over to respondent. The hearing judge found that respondent had never deposited any of the settlement checks or funds into any account nor did he pay the bills to Ms. Smolen, as he had promised. Judge Strausberg found that respondent had admitted before the Inquiry Panel that he had `goofed' by not paying the bills. The hearing judge also found that respondent had failed to produce any writing relating to his contingency fee arrangements in respect to the four cases involved in the Smolen matter. The circuit court again found that respondent failed to cooperate with petitioner's investigation. We conclude as a matter of law that respondent violated MRPC 1.5(c) in respect to the finding below that respondent did not describe his contingency fees in writing, MRPC 1.15, in regard to mishandling the settlement checks, and MRPC 8.1(b), in respect to his failure to cooperate with petitioner.