Court Opinion

ID: 9894582
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-11-02 13:11:53.207534+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:10:01.145296
License: Public Domain

2023 WI 74

                  SUPREME COURT OF WISCONSIN
CASE NO.:              2023AP1034-D

COMPLETE TITLE:        In the Matter of Disciplinary Proceedings
                       Against Felipe N. Gomez, Attorney at Law:

                       Office of Lawyer Regulation,
                                 Complainant,
                            v.
                       Felipe N. Gomez,
                                 Respondent.

                            DISCIPLINARY PROCEEDINGS AGAINST GOMEZ

OPINION FILED:         November 2, 2023
SUBMITTED ON BRIEFS:
ORAL ARGUMENT:

SOURCE OF APPEAL:
   COURT:
   COUNTY:
   JUDGE:

JUSTICES:
Per curiam.

ATTORNEYS:
                                                          2023 WI 74

                                                          NOTICE
                                            This opinion is subject to further
                                            editing and modification.   The final
                                            version will appear in the bound
                                            volume of the official reports.
 No. 2023AP1034-D
STATE OF WISCONSIN                      :            IN SUPREME COURT

In the Matter of Disciplinary Proceedings
Against Felipe N. Gomez, Attorney at Law:

Office of Lawyer Regulation,                                   FILED
            Complainant,                                   NOV 2, 2023
    v.                                                     Samuel A. Christensen
                                                          Clerk of Supreme Court
Felipe N. Gomez,

            Respondent.

    ATTORNEY     disciplinary    proceeding.       Attorney's         license

suspended.

    ¶1      PER CURIAM.    This is a reciprocal discipline matter.

On June 12, 2023, the Office of Lawyer Regulation (OLR) filed a

complaint and motion pursuant to Supreme Court Rule (SCR) 22.22,

requesting this court suspend Attorney Felipe N. Gomez's license

to practice law in Wisconsin for a period of three years, as

discipline reciprocal to that imposed by the Supreme Court of
Illinois.    Attorney Gomez admitted service of OLR's complaint
                                                                        No.   2023AP1034-D

and motion on August 2, 2023.                     Upon review of the matter, we

agree that it is appropriate to impose a three year suspension,

identical to that imposed by the Supreme Court of Illinois.

      ¶2     Attorney        Gomez     was    admitted        to   practice       law   in

Wisconsin in 1999.            He was admitted to practice law in Illinois

in 1988.     The most recent address furnished to the State Bar of

Wisconsin        is    in    Northbrook,          Illinois.        Attorney       Gomez's

Wisconsin law license has been administratively suspended since

June 3, 2002 for failure to comply with Wisconsin continuing

legal education requirements, and since October 31, 2003 for

failure     to    pay       state    bar    dues    and   file     a     trust    account

certification.

      ¶3     On September 21, 2022, the Supreme Court of Illinois

suspended Attorney Gomez's Illinois law license for three years.

The   Illinois          court       found    that     Attorney      Gomez        committed

professional          misconduct      by    sending    numerous        threatening      and

harassing emails to other attorneys.                      Attorney Gomez did not

notify OLR of the Illinois suspension within 20 days of its
effective date.

      ¶4     On August 21, 2023, this court directed Attorney Gomez

to inform the court in writing within 20 days of any claim by

him, predicated upon the grounds set forth in SCR 22.22(3), 1 that

      1   SCR 22.22(3) provides:

      The   supreme   court  shall   impose   the  identical
      discipline or license suspension unless one or more of
      the following is present:

                                                                    (Continued)

                                              2
                                                                      No.    2023AP1034-D

the   imposition       of    discipline   reciprocal        to    that      imposed   in

Illinois would be unwarranted, and of the factual basis for any

such claim. No response was received.

      ¶5     The    OLR's    complaint    alleges        that    by    virtue   of    the

Illinois     suspension,      Attorney    Gomez     is    subject      to    reciprocal

discipline in Wisconsin pursuant to SCR 22.22, and by failing to

notify     OLR    of   his   suspension       in   Illinois,      he    violated      SCR

22.22(1).2        The OLR asks this court to suspend Attorney Gomez's

Wisconsin law license for three years as discipline reciprocal

to that imposed in Illinois.

      ¶6         Under SCR 22.22(3), in reciprocal discipline matters,

this court shall impose the identical discipline unless one of

the exceptions enumerated in that rule is shown.                            There is no

indication that any of those exceptions apply in this case.

      (a) The procedure in the other jurisdiction was so
      lacking in notice or opportunity to be heard as to
      constitute a deprivation of due process.

      (b) There was such an infirmity of proof establishing
      the misconduct or medical incapacity that the supreme
      court could not accept as final the conclusion in
      respect to the misconduct or medical incapacity.

      (c) The misconduct justifies substantially different
      discipline in this state.

      2SCR 22.22(1) provides:     "An attorney on whom public
discipline for misconduct or a license suspension for medical
incapacity has been imposed by another jurisdiction shall
promptly notify the director of the matter. Failure to furnish
the notice within 20 days of the effective date of the order or
judgment of the other jurisdiction constitutes misconduct."

                                          3
                                                                    No.   2023AP1034-D

Accordingly, we impose discipline identical to that imposed by

the Supreme Court of Illinois.

    ¶7    IT IS ORDERED that the license of Felipe N. Gomez to

practice law in Wisconsin is suspended for a period of three

years, effective the date of this order.

    ¶8    IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that, to the extent he has not

already   done    so,     Felipe    N.       Gomez    shall     comply    with    the

provisions of SCR 22.26 concerning the duties of a person whose

license to practice law in Wisconsin has been suspended.

    ¶9    IT     IS     FURTHER    ORDERED       that       compliance    with    all

conditions of this order is required for reinstatement. See SCR

22.29(4)(c).

    ¶10   IT     IS     FURTHER     ORDERED          that     the    administrative

suspensions of Felipe N. Gomez's license to practice law in

Wisconsin, due to his failure to pay mandatory bar dues, his

failure to complete his trust account certification, and his

failure to comply with CLE reporting requirements, will remain

in effect until each reason for the administrative suspension
has been rectified, pursuant to SCR 22.28(1).

                                         4
    No.   2023AP1034-D

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