Opinion ID: 1718159
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The Mattingly Matter

Text: The second count of misconduct involved Brehmer's representation of Mark and Diane Mattingly during April 1997, in a dispute arising out of their purchase of a house in Wisconsin. Brehmer was not, and is not, licensed to practice law in Wisconsin, [1] but he accepted a $2,500 retainer and then attempted to commence the action by serving the summons and complaint on the defendants. Under Wis.Stat. § 801.02 (1996), the summons and complaint must first be filed with the clerk of court. Because the lawsuit was commenced improperly, two of the defendants filed a motion to dismiss. The district court did not grant the motion, but instead issued an order in July 1997, setting new deadlines for Brehmer to serve the summons and complaint properly. Brehmer failed to meet these new deadlines, and the same two defendants again filed a motion to dismiss and an amended motion to dismiss. Brehmer did not respond, and those two defendants were eventually dismissed. In addition, during the time when Brehmer associated with local counsel, he failed to timely respond to the remaining defendants' requests for admissions and interrogatories. Brehmer also failed to correctly identify expert witnesses. He failed to properly respond to a motion to compel discovery, and when he finally did respond to the defendants' requests for admissions and interrogatories, the answers were not signed under oath. Brehmer failed to meet other discovery deadlines and failed to attend the depositions of expert witnesses. On June 12, 1998, local counsel filed a motion to withdraw from representation, and Brehmer did not retain other local counsel. On August 28, 1998, the court granted the remaining defendants' motions to dismiss because Brehmer failed to comply with the court's discovery orders, and because Brehmer exhibited egregious behavior in general. In a separate order, the court stated that Brehmer's misconduct was consistent throughout the case, and he repeatedly violated the discovery rules. The Mattinglys paid Brehmer $1,675 for his representation, but he never provided the Mattinglys with a bill or an accounting of the retainer funds they paid to him.