Opinion ID: 1530578
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 10

Heading: Complaint of Tyrese Alexander

Text: The facts established before this Court demonstrated that the Respondent agreed to represent a Ms. Alexander, accepted payment for services to be performed, and never fulfilled his responsibilities. In this case, Ms. Alexander approached Mr. Milliken for assistance in an uncontested divorce and was quoted a fee of $350.00. Mr. Milliken did not explain the basis of the fee to Ms. Alexander. She paid a $200.00 retainer fee on the date of their initial meeting in March, 1991. She tried unsuccessfully to reach him by phone on numerous occasions, but got no response for months. Five months after reaching Mr. Milliken, Ms. Alexander recalled getting a two page Bill of Complaint for Absolute Divorce in August, 1991. There was no cover letter and no instructions as to how she should proceed. Mr. Milliken testified that he previously instructed her, but he cannot produce evidence of his work. Subsequently, Ms. Alexander attempted to call the Respondent several times without success. Finally, on December 24, 1993, Mr. Milliken contacted Ms. Alexander and requested that she give him until January 1, 1994 to refund her money. Ms. Alexander never heard from the Respondent again, nor did she receive a refund. Based upon the facts established by clear and convincing evidence, this Court concludes that the Respondent has violated Maryland Rules 1.3 and 1.4(a) by failing to act with diligence and to communicate with Ms. Alexander and keep her reasonably informed. As noted above, Mr. Milliken provided no letter of explanation with the Complaint he sent, nor did he return her many phone calls. More than two (2) years passed without any further work by Mr. Milliken or communication with this client. By charging Ms. Alexander a fee, doing minimal work, and failing to explain the basis for the charge, Mr. Milliken violated Maryland Rule 1.5(b) which obligates a lawyer to charge reasonable fees consistent with the amount of effort made on a client's behalf and to communicate the basis of his fee to the client within a reasonable amount of time. Although Mr. Milliken told Ms. Alexander he would return her money, he did not do so and therefore he is in violation of Maryland Rule 1.16(d) which mandates that a lawyer refund[] any advance payment of fee that he has not earned. Finally, as admitted by the Respondent in Petitioner's Exhibit 4, it is clear that he violated Maryland Rule 8.1(b) by failing to respond to a lawful demand for information, in that he refused to answer letters from Bar Counsel regarding the above Complaint. (Footnotes omitted). The hearing judge found by clear and convincing evidence that Milliken violated the following Rules of Professional Conduct: 1.1 (Competence); 1.3 (Diligence); 1.4(a), (b) (Communication); 1.15(a), (b) (Safekeeping Property); 1.16(d) (Declining or Terminating Representation); 3.2 (Expediting Litigation); 5.3(b) (Responsibilities Regarding Nonlawyer Assistants); 5.4(a) (Professional Independence of a Lawyer); 8.1(b) (Bar Admission and Disciplinary Matters); 8.4 (Misconduct), and Maryland Rules BU7 (Commingling of Funds) and BU9 (Prohibited Transactions). Neither Bar Counsel nor Respondent has filed exceptions to these findings of fact and conclusions of law. The sole issue before this Court is the extent of the discipline to be imposed upon Respondent. This Court is vested with the responsibility to supervise the conduct of lawyers in order to protect the public and to maintain public confidence in the judicial system and the bar as a whole. The purpose of sanctions is not to punish the errant lawyer, but rather to protect the public from further acts of misconduct, to protect the integrity of the legal profession and to deter other lawyers from engaging in violations of the Rules of Professional Conduct. Attorney Griev. Com'n v. Myers 333 Md. 440, 447, 635 A.2d 1315, 1318 (1994). Each case is to be judged based on the particular facts and circumstances. Attorney Griev. Comm'n v. Babbitt, 300 Md. 637, 642, 479 A.2d 1372, 1375 (1984). Bar Counsel recommends disbarment as the appropriate sanction in this case. Respondent urges this Court to consider some lesser sanction other than disbarment, such as suspension. For the following reasons, we conclude that the appropriate sanction is disbarment. The hearing judge found that Respondent engaged in egregious misconduct that amounted to fraud, deceit and misrepresentation. His clients suffered severe detriment. He repeatedly neglected client matters and failed to take steps to protect client interests. Respondent repeatedly failed to apprise clients honestly of the status of their cases, and in effect, repeatedly lied to his clients. In failing to provide proper representation, he misled his clients into believing that their matters were being appropriately handled. He did not refund advance payment of fees that had not been earned and, on more than one occasion, he shared fees with a non-lawyer. When sued by a client for the return of the unearned fee, he did not appear in court, and subsequently ignored the default judgment simply because he felt the judgment was unwarranted. Respondent violated Maryland Rules BU7 and BU9 by drawing instruments payable to cash on his attorney trust account, by making cash disbursements from his trust account, and by allowing fee income to accumulate in his attorney trust account. He deposited and held funds for non-clients in his trust account, thereby commingling client funds with personal and non-client funds. In writing checks from the trust account directly to his wife, he used trust funds for unauthorized purposes. He also failed to keep complete records of his trust account. In addition to his pattern of misconduct and neglect of client matters, Respondent failed to cooperate with Bar Counsel. He repeatedly refused to answer Bar Counsel's letters. In each of the matters before the Court, Respondent received fees from the client for work to be performed in the future. [14] As an advance fee payment, he was obligated to return any unearned portion of the fee under Rule 1.16(d). See Attorney Griev. Com'n v. David, 331 Md. 317, 323, 628 A.2d 178, 181 (1993) (sanctioning attorney in part for his failure to return a fee which was unearned); Attorney Griev. Com'n v. Hill, 314 Md. 293, 294, 550 A.2d 707, 707 (1988) (ordering attorney to show cause why he should not be suspended for refusal to return the fees to two clients for whom he took no action); Attorney Griev. Com'n v. Bloom, 306 Md. 609, 610, 510 A.2d 589, 589 (1986) (disbarring attorney, in part, for conversion of client funds in failing to refund a retainer after attorney took no action on client's case); Attorney Griev. Com'n v. Harper, 300 Md. 193, 198, 477 A.2d 756, 758 (1984) (disbarring attorney, in part, for misappropriation of funds in failing to return monies client paid attorney); CHARLES W. WOLFRAM, MODERN LEGAL ETHICS § 9.2.2, at 506 (1986). Milliken has never returned the unearned portion of the fees to the clients. In Attorney Griev. Comm'n v. Manning, 318 Md. 697, 704-05, 569 A.2d 1250, 1254 (1990), we noted: In recent years, however, we have noticed too many instances when lawyers have agreed to represent clients and accepted fees, in part or in whole, only to completely neglect these same legal problems, causing the same clients emotional distress, financial loss, or other varying kinds of inconvenience. More often than not, these situations have been exacerbated by the lack of respect and attention extended to the courts as evidenced by the failure to file timely pleadings or to make appearances as scheduled before the court to enable proceedings to be conducted. It seems to us that this kind of persistent conduct is evidence of a lawyer's disregard of his obligation. As in Manning, the instant case is a clear example of such an attitude. The hearing judge found that [b]y requesting a fee, receiving it in full, and then failing to do any work whatsoever Mr. Milliken's conduct and actions were dishonest, deceitful and fraudulent. They constitute not only misconduct, but indeed the very kind of misconduct which is also prejudicial to the administration of justice. The hearing judge found that Respondent told clients Steward (Dorsey), Middleton, and Alexander that he would refund the legal fee, but he failed to do so. It is well settled that the extent of discipline to be applied is dependent upon the severity of the attorney's misconduct and the particular facts of the case. Attorney Griev. Comm'n v. Montgomery, 318 Md. 154, 165, 567 A.2d 112, 117 (1989). The gravity of misconduct is not measured solely by the number of rules broken but is determined largely by the lawyer's conduct. Flint's Case, 133 N.H. 685, 582 A.2d 291, 293 (1990). This case involves the most serious of professional and ethical duties arising from the attorney-client relationship. Respondent's treatment of his trust account in violation of Rules BU7 and BU9 alone warrants disbarment. As we have repeatedly said, commingling and conversion of client funds, in the absence of mitigating circumstances, ordinarily warrants disbarment. Myers, 333 Md. at 449, 635 A.2d at 1319; Attorney Griev. Comm'n v. White, 328 Md. 412, 417, 614 A.2d 955, 958 (1992); Attorney Griev. Comm'n v. Bakas, 323 Md. 395, 403, 593 A.2d 1087, 1091 (1991); Attorney Griev. Comm'n v. Lazerow, 320 Md. 507, 513, 578 A.2d 779, 782 (1990); Attorney Griev. Comm'n v. Ezrin, 312 Md. 603, 608-09, 541 A.2d 966, 968. (1988). Respondent has never returned the money he owes to his clients, even in the face of a judgment for the amount of the unearned fee. Respondent's pattern of neglect of client affairs, resulting in serious harm to his clients, and his failure to return unearned fees, undermine the very underpinnings of the practice of law, which are honesty toward his clients and loyal advocacy on their behalf. Flint's Case, 582 A.2d at 293. As an attorney licensed to practice law in the State of Maryland, Respondent has submitted to the exclusive disciplinary jurisdiction of this Court. The refusal of an attorney to respond to a demand by the disciplinary authority is sanctionable conduct under Rule 8.1(b). Attorney Griev. Comm. v. Hallmon, 343 Md. 390, 408, 681 A.2d 510, 519 (1996). Respondent's failure to respond to Bar Counsel's letters in any manner evidences his disrespect for the attorney disciplinary process in this State. His total disregard for the judgment entered against him on behalf of Ms. Cornish evidences his lack of concern for the administration of justice. The violations in this case are serious and reveal in Respondent the absence of fundamental requirements of a lawyer: honesty, integrity, and respect for the legal system. Writing for the Court in Maryland St. Bar Ass'n. v. Phoebus, 276 Md. 353, 366, 347 A.2d 556, 563 (1975), Judge O'Donnell observed: As we see it, the interests of the public mandate his disbarment; indeed, to order otherwise, would constitute an abnegation of our responsibilities, and would convey to the public, implicitly, a misrepresentation that the respondent continues to possess the basic attributes, required of all members of the bar, that they will act with proper care in representing their clients and will, with strictest fidelity, diligently attend their clients' interests. On the part of the respondent these attributes are convincingly found to be utterly wanting. The record in the instant matter shows numerous trust account violations, a continuing pattern of neglect of client affairs, conversion of client monies in failing to return unearned fees, and contempt for the disciplinary process. The gravity of Respondent's conduct is further aggravated by the fact that the Court rejected as totally incredible Respondent's explanation that his failure to maintain records relating to his trust account as well as client matters was due to an office fire. See Bar Ass'n v. Marshall, 269 Md. 510, 520, 307 A.2d 677, 682 (1973). As in Phoebus, to protect the public, to instill confidence in the legal profession, and to deter similar behavior, disbarment is mandated. Myers, 333 Md. at 446-47, 635 A.2d at 1318. Accordingly, the name of Herschel D. Milliken will be stricken from the rolls of those authorized to practice law in this State. IT IS SO ORDERED; RESPONDENT SHALL PAY ALL COSTS AS TAXED BY THE CLERK OF THIS COURT, INCLUDING COSTS OF ALL TRANSCRIPTS, PURSUANT TO MARYLAND RULE BV15(c), FOR WHICH SUM JUDGMENT IS ENTERED IN FAVOR OF THE ATTORNEY GRIEVANCE COMMISSION AGAINST HERSCHEL D. MILLIKEN.