Opinion ID: 4540357
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Discovery Sanctions and State Bar Proceedings

Text: Until her suspension, Lenore Albert-Sheridan had practiced as an attorney in California since December 2000 with no disciplinary record. She served as a consumeradvocate attorney, often representing homeowners in residential housing and mortgage disputes. By her own account, Albert stopped over 1,000 foreclosure sales in one case alone. Beginning in May 2012, Albert represented Norman and Helen Koshak in an unlawful detainer matter in California IN RE ALBERT-SHERIDAN 5 Superior Court. In that case, plaintiffs 10675 S. Orange Park Boulevard, LLC, Francis Lantieri, and Gary Schneider (“Orange Park Boulevard”) commenced an action to evict the Koshaks from their property. In August 2012, Orange Park Boulevard filed three motions to compel Helen Koshak’s response to several discovery requests. In each motion, Orange Park Boulevard also sought costs and fees against Koshak and Albert for misuse of the discovery process under California Code of Civil Procedure § 2023.030. After a hearing, a California Superior Court commissioner granted the discovery motions and imposed sanctions against Helen Koshak and her “counsel-of-record, Lenore Albert” in three separate orders. The commissioner ordered that they pay “monetary sanctions” of $2,675.50, $1,242.50, and $1,820.00 (totaling $5,738) to “Plaintiff 10675 S Orange Park Boulevard, LLC,” jointly and severally within 30 days. To date, these discovery sanctions have not been paid. In early 2015, the State Bar received a complaint against Albert and initiated an investigation. By July 2015, the State Bar requested documents and written responses from Albert. Albert failed to comply with the inquiry and instead requested an extension to the “eternity of time” while accusing the State Bar of wrongdoing. The following year, the State Bar began disciplinary proceedings and charged Albert with, as relevant here, failing to cooperate with its investigation and disobeying the court orders to pay Orange Park Boulevard the discovery sanctions. After a State Bar trial, the hearing officer found Albert culpable on both counts. The hearing officer recommended a 30-day suspension of Albert’s law license with reinstatement conditioned on her payment of the 6 IN RE ALBERT-SHERIDAN discovery sanctions. The hearing officer also awarded $18,714 to the State Bar in “reasonable costs” for the disciplinary proceedings under California Business and Professions Code § 6086.10(b)(3). The costs included a preset base charge of $16,758 plus $1,956 for investigations. California law requires the payment of disciplinary costs as a prerequisite for Bar reinstatement. Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 6140.7. On appeal, the State Bar Review Department affirmed Albert’s culpability on the two charges, her suspension, and the imposition of the disciplinary proceedings’ costs. In December 2017, the California Supreme Court entered a final order of discipline. The supreme court ordered Albert suspended for 30 days, to be continued until: She pays the following sanctions (or reimburses the Client Security Fund, to the extent of any payment from the Fund to the payees . . .), and furnishes proof to the State Bar . . . the $2,675.50, $1,242.50, and $1,820 sanctions awards issued on August 31, 2012, by the Superior Court of Orange County . . . plus 10 percent interest per year from August 31, 2012. In re Albert on Discipline, No. S243927, 2017 Cal. LEXIS 9745, at  (Cal. Dec. 13, 2017). It also awarded the costs of the disciplinary proceedings to the State Bar. Id. at . The supreme court later denied Albert’s petition for rehearing. To date, Albert has not paid the disciplinary proceeding costs. IN RE ALBERT-SHERIDAN 7