Opinion ID: 1961094
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Agreement/Representation

Text: In 1996, in addition to practicing law out of his Bethesda, Maryland office, respondent alleged that he also offered clients financial and investment advice. At that time, respondent had been taking referrals from a former client, Harbhagwan S. Suri (hereinafter, Mr.Suri), since 1995. Respondent represented Mr. Suri in Mr. Suri's effort to obtain a L-1 Visa to enter the United States from India. Mr. Suri obtained this visa, but had returned to India by 1995. Mr. Suri placed ads in a Bombay, India newspaper soliciting businessmen interested in obtaining visas to enter the United States. In February of 1996, Mr. Lobo read such an ad and contacted Mr. Suri, who he did not know prior to that time. Mr. Lobo met with Mr. Suri and was told that Mr. Suri had a partner in the United States who could assist Mr. Lobo in obtaining a L-1 Visa to enter the United States. He told Mr. Lobo that respondent was his partner and showed Mr. Lobo documents that corroborated his partnership with respondent. Mr. Suri then explained the visa process and its expenses to Mr. Lobo. Mr. Lobo understood that Mr. Suri would prepare and complete the necessary documents in India and then forward them to respondent so that respondent could file them with the appropriate agency. Mr. Lobo was told that the process would cost the equivalent of between $7,000 and $7,500. Mr. Lobo agreed to engage their services by initially paying Mr. Suri the equivalent of $3,500. During the preparation of the paperwork in India, Mr. Suri informed Mr. Lobo that Mr. Lobo's visa application could be expedited by placing $50,000 into an escrow account in the United States. He explained that this was necessary in order to convey Mr. Lobo's sincerity in regard to immigrating to the United States and would assist Mr. Lobo to commence operations for a United States subsidiary to his Indian company, Lobo Development. Although Mr. Lobo was initially disinclined to deposit this money, he eventually agreed to wire $30,000 to respondent with the understanding that it would be deposited into an escrow account. In late February of 1996, Mr. Lobo flew to Hong Kong and later wired $30,000 to respondent's personal bank account at Riggs National Bank on March 1, 1996. Mr. Suri gave respondent's account information to Mr. Lobo. Along with the money, Mr. Lobo sent respondent a letter and a photocopy of the transfer details via facsimile. This was the first direct communication between Mr. Lobo and respondent and it included, in addition to a request for written conformation and a copy of the escrow agreement from respondent, the language, IN CASE OF NON-PERFORMANCE ON PROJECT FUNDING AND OR INABILITY TO OBTAIN L-1 VISA APPROVAL FOR ME, THIS DEPOSIT MAY BE CREDITED TO MY ACCOUNT. On the same day, respondent sent a facsimile to Mr. Lobo in order to confirm respondent's receipt of Mr. Lobo's $30,000. The facsimile also included the escrow agreement, which was signed by both respondent and Mr. Suri. The letter was printed on respondent's letterhead. The escrow agreement states: