Opinion ID: 1167668
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 9

Heading: The Gilbert Matter

Text: In February 1983, Arthur and Rachael Gilbert retained petitioner to represent them in a matter involving a landslide onto property they owned in Santa Monica. At the time they retained petitioner, they expressed concern that the statute of limitations was about to run on their action. Petitioner filed a timely complaint to toll the statute and informed the Gilberts that he thought they had a viable action and was willing to represent them for a limited fee, with the balance to be paid on a contingency basis. In February, the Gilberts paid petitioner $500 as an advance on attorney fees and costs and in May they paid him an additional $500. Thereafter, the Gilberts wrote petitioner requesting further information regarding attorney fees and the damages they might obtain in the action. Petitioner failed to respond. In September 1984, after waiting several months to hear from petitioner, the Gilberts phoned to inquire as to the status of their case. Petitioner failed to respond. Over the next several months, the Gilberts called petitioner's office several times requesting that he contact them, all without response. In December 1984, the Gilberts wrote petitioner demanding the return of their $1,000 advance payment on fees and costs and directing that he turn their file over to another attorney whom they had retained. Petitioner failed to respond to this letter and failed to deliver the file to the other attorney. Though petitioner subsequently executed a substitution of attorney, he failed to turn over the entire file, withholding photographs, engineering reports and expert opinions. The State Bar Court found that petitioner wilfully failed to communicate with his clients, wilfully failed to perform the services for which he had been retained, abandoned his clients, and failed to return any portion of the fees that had not been earned. By his conduct, the State Bar Court concluded that petitioner wilfully violated rules 2-111(A)(3) and 6-101(A)(2) and sections 6068 and 6103.