Opinion ID: 2320057
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Complaint of Christine A. Serabian.

Text: Respondent was retained in March 2003 to represent Ms. Serabian in a will caveat proceeding in Calvert County. The representation was undertaken pursuant to a contingency fee agreement whereby Respondent was to receive an hourly fee if a recovery was obtained. This fee agreement was not reduced to writing. In the course of the representation, Steinberg not only failed to communicate with his client for extended periods of time,[ [21] ] but also failed to appear at scheduled meetings and deposition with his client in June, September, and October of 2003. According to Ms. Serabian's complaint, these omissions included failing to appear at a previously scheduled meeting with her and arriving an hour late each for two court-ordered mediation sessions, and being unprepared for the latter one. Respondent also failed to explain the outcome of court-ordered mediation sessions, and failed to present to Ms. Serabian the content of an offer made by opposing counsel during the mediation process. [22] The most glaring deficiency in Respondent's representation occurred in the days surrounding the 13 November scheduled deposition of Ms. Serabian. The deposition was scheduled for 13 November 2003 at the office of George E. Meng, Esquire, opposing counsel. On 12 November 2003, at approximately 5:15 p.m., Respondent called Mr. Meng and informed him that Ms. Serabian refused to attend the deposition. This was a misrepresentation. After protracted dialogue with Respondent, Meng requested that Steinberg attempt to procure his client's attendance at the deposition. Around 10:10 p.m., Steinberg informed Meng that his client's position had not changed. Mr. Meng cancelled the deposition. The next day, Ms. Serabian arrived at Meng's office at the scheduled time to be deposed. She professed to have no knowledge of the cancellation and had not represented to Respondent that she refused to attend the deposition as scheduled. The deposition was rescheduled between counsel to 22 January 2004. Despite Respondent's knowledge of the new date, he did not communicate the new date to Ms. Serabian. When she failed to appear on 22 January, the Orphans' Court presiding over the caveat proceeding, upon opposing counsel's motion, directed her to pay various monetary sanctions to the opposing parties, and scheduled a further hearing to allow the personal representative and legatees to present ex parte proof concerning the testator's competency and lack of undue influence relating to the execution of the challenged will. Following an inexplicable lack of communication with his client, Ms. Serabian finally terminated the Respondent's representation in or about February 2004. Despite his termination, and despite repeated requests by Ms. Serabian to have her file returned to her, Respondent failed to timely withdraw his appearance and failed to timely return Ms. Serabian's file after his discharge. Respondent made repeated representations to Ms. Serabian and opposing counsel that he filed the motion to withdraw before he actually did. Respondent's motion to strike his appearance was not filed until 13 August 2004, approximately 6 months after termination of the representation. Additionally, Ms. Serabian made several attempts over the following months to obtain the files relating to her ongoing case, including several phone calls to Respondent, all going unreturned. It was not until Respondent received a letter from the Petitioner, requiring that he return the file, that Steinberg finally complied. Lastly, in a document dated 5 October 2004, Respondent sought to have Ms. Serabian execute a release of any malpractice claims, and to have her withdraw her disciplinary complaint in this matter. After termination of Steinberg's representation, Ms. Serabian continued pro se to pursue the caveat and, in that capacity, sought reconsideration of the ex parte sanctions entered against her as a result of the deposition debacle. In connection therewith, she sought an affidavit from Respondent stating that he never informed her of the 22 January rescheduled deposition date. When she arrived at his house to obtain the affidavit, he presented her with a Release in Full, which purported to release Respondent from any liability arising out of his representation of her in the will caveat. Steinberg neither advised her to obtain independent legal advice with respect to signing this document nor did he provide any reasonable opportunity to do so.