Opinion ID: 1306874
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Excerpts from Board's Order and Opinion of April 26, 1989

Text: The American Bar Association's Standards for Imposing Lawyer Sanctions are instructive. Under Paragraph III C, Section 4.1, suspension is appropriate when a lawyer knows or should know that he is dealing improperly with client property and causes injury or potential injury to a client. Standards for Imposing Lawyer Sanctions, American Bar Association, 1986, p. 9. Paragraph III C, Sections 9.2 and 9.3 of the Standards list aggravating and mitigating factors which may be considered in imposing sanctions. With reference to these lists, the Board finds the following aggravating factors to be present in this case: 1. the existence of a prior disciplinary offense; 2. a selfish motive in that Mr. Gay attempted to protect himself against financial loss by continuing to advance Mrs. Williams' funds to H & L; 3. a pattern of misconduct evidenced by Mr. Gay's repeated unauthorized disbursement of Mrs. Williams' funds and his failure over a long period to account properly to Mrs. Williams; 4. vulnerability of Mrs. Williams, a person whom Mr. Gay acknowledges was of doubtful capacity to evaluate investment strategies; 5. substantial experience in the practice of law evidenced by Mr. Gay's fulltime engagement in private practice since 1977; 6. indifference to making restitution, evidenced by Mr. Gay's failure for many months to turn over Mrs. Williams' assets as directed. The following mitigating factors are present: a. personal emotional problems relating to the death of Mr. Gay's brother in early 1987 following the loss of his mother a year or so before; b. a record of good character and reputation in the community; c. interim rehabilitation demonstrated by Mr. Gay's testimony that he has improved his recordkeeping and office procedures; d. remorse, evidenced by Mr. Gay's recognition that the manner in which he handled Mrs. Williams' affairs was inappropriate. Considering the entire record of these proceedings, the seriousness of Mr. Gay's offenses, the substantial financial jeopardy in which Mrs. Williams was placed during the course of Mr. Gay's dealings and the presence of both aggravating and mitigating factors, the Board determines and hereby ORDERS that the license of James F. Gay to practice law in the Commonwealth of Virginia be SUSPENDED for a period of three (3) years, effective thirty (30) days from the entry of this Order.