Opinion ID: 2379994
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Iris Richard

Text: In September 1993, Iris Richard (Richard) retained respondent to represent her in a discrimination action against her employer. Respondent and Richard executed a retainer agreement which provided for an attorney's fee of $9,000.00. Richard made an initial payment of $4,500.00 in January 1994, with the balance due in six months. Respondent advised Richard that it was necessary to file an administrative claim with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) by April 1, 1994. Although respondent promised Richard that he would file the claim with the EEOC on her behalf, he failed to do so and never advised Richard of this fact. In June 1994, Richard left a message with respondent that she was unable to pay the balance of the retainer; respondent did not return her call. Thereafter, Richard unsuccessfully attempted to contact respondent on several occasions. In January 1995, respondent informed Richard that he had been ill and had deferred action on her case because she had not payed the balance of the retainer. In the summer of 1995, Richard asked respondent to provide her with a copy of the administrative claim that she assumed had been filed with the EEOC on her behalf; respondent did not respond to her request. On August 4, 1995, Richard wrote respondent requesting a copy of the complaint purportedly filed, on her behalf, in the United States District Court for the District of Maryland. Respondent informed Richard by letter that [he] ha[d] not gone forward with [her] matter because [she] indicated an inability to pay the balance of the retainer agreement. In his letter, respondent acknowledged that the limitations period had run on one of Richard's claims, but assured her that she could still file a remaining claim pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1981. Seeking to resolve the matter amicably, respondent enclosed a check in the amount of $2,250.00 (i.e., half of the initial retainer payment). In September 1995, Richard wrote to respondent stating her dissatisfaction and requesting a full refund of her initial retainer payment. Respondent did not comply. Richard filed a complaint with Bar Counsel on October 3, 1995. Hearing Committee No. 1 found that respondent (1) failed to represent Richard zealously and diligently when he did not communicate with Richard, and failed to take the necessary steps to preserve her discrimination claims, in violation of Rule 1.3(a); (2) intentionally failed to seek the lawful objectives of Richard through reasonably available means when he abandoned her case due to her inability to pay the balance of the retainer fee, in violation of Rule 1.3(b)(1); (3) failed to act with reasonable promptness in representing Richard when he failed to file her claim with the EEOC within the limitations period, in violation of Rule 1.3(c); and (4) failed to keep Richard reasonably informed about the status of her case when he chose not to advise her that her claim had not been filed within the EEOC limitations period, and failed to promptly comply with her reasonable requests for documents, in violation of Rule 1.4(a).