Court Opinion

ID: 9649594
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-23 15:02:50.48216+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T12:24:33.272269
License: Public Domain

BATTAGLIA, Judge,
dissenting.
I dissent because I believe that the hearing judge’s finding that there was no attorney-client relationship between Mr. *507Shoup and Ms. Williams is clearly erroneous. Because such an attorney-client relationship did exist, I believe that Mr. Shoup not only violated Maryland Rules of Professional Conduct 1.1 (competency), 1.8 (entering into business relationship with a client) and 1.15 (safekeeping client property), and Maryland Rule 16-609 (prohibited transactions), but also Maryland Rule of Professional Conduct 8.4(c) (misconduct “involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit or misrepresentation”), and to protect the public from such conduct in the future, I would indefinitely suspend.