Opinion ID: 1292667
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Client Abandonment.

Text: (5) Client neglect is serious misconduct that constitutes a breach of the fiduciary duty owed by an attorney to the client and, accordingly, warrants substantial discipline. ( Farnham v. State Bar (1988) 47 Cal.3d 429, 446 [253 Cal. Rptr. 249, 763 P.2d 1339].) It is well recognized that [h]abitual disregard by an attorney of the interests of clients is ground for disbarment.... Even when such neglect is grossly negligent or careless, rather than willful and dishonest, it is an act of moral turpitude and professional misconduct, justifying disbarment.... ( Farnham v. State Bar, supra, 47 Cal.3d at p. 446, quoting Simmons v. State Bar (1970) 2 Cal.3d 719, 729 [87 Cal. Rptr. 368, 470 P.2d 352], quoting Grove v. State Bar (1967) 66 Cal.2d 680, 683-684 [58 Cal. Rptr. 564, 427 P.2d 164], internal quotation marks omitted; see Cooper v. State Bar (1987) 43 Cal.3d 1016, 1031-1032 [239 Cal. Rptr. 709, 741 P.2d 206]; Kent v. State Bar (1987) 43 Cal.3d 729, 735 [239 Cal. Rptr. 77, 739 P.2d 1244].) The failure to communicate with, and inattention to the needs of, a client, may also constitute proper grounds for discipline. ( Kapelus v. State Bar (1987) 44 Cal.3d 179, 187-188 [242 Cal. Rptr. 196, 745 P.2d 917].) Standard 2.4 further suggests that disbarment is warranted. It provides, in relevant part, as follows: Culpability of a member of a pattern of wilfully failing to perform services demonstrating the member's abandonment of the causes in which he or she was retained shall result in disbarment. (1d) Here, petitioner abandoned over 20 clients and failed to communicate with at least 21 clients. Petitioner's acts of misconduct far exceeded the scope of the misconduct in Grove, supra, 66 Cal.2d 680 (ten counts of misconduct, attorney disbarred), Ridley v. State Bar (1972) 6 Cal.3d 551, 560 [99 Cal. Rptr. 873, 493 P.2d 105] (misconduct in six matters, attorney disbarred), Kent, supra, 43 Cal.3d 729 (misconduct involving six clients, attorney disbarred), and Cooper, supra, 43 Cal.3d 1016 (misconduct in six matters, attorney disbarred).