Court Opinion

ID: 9369889
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-02-09 21:08:07.505481+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:16:17.482611
License: Public Domain

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF PENNSYLVANIA

 OFFICE OF DISCIPLINARY COUNSEL,               :   No. 2923 Disciplinary Docket No. 3
                                               :
                        Petitioner             :
                                               :   No. 40 DB 2022
               v.                              :
                                               :
                                               :   Attorney Registration No. 93214
 EVAN T. L. HUGHES,                            :
                                               :
                        Respondent             :   (Philadelphia)

                                           ORDER

PER CURIAM

       AND NOW, this 8th day of February, 2023, upon consideration of the

Recommendation of the Three-Member Panel of the Disciplinary Board, the Joint Petition

in Support of Discipline on Consent is granted, and Evan T.L. Hughes is suspended on

consent from the Bar of this Commonwealth for a period of one year and one day. The

suspension is stayed in its entirety, and he is placed on probation for a period of two

years, subject to the following conditions:

       1. Jose Constantino Campos, Esquire, is appointed to monitor Respondent’s

          management of his law practice;

       2. Attorney Campos shall do the following during Respondent’s probation:

              a. Meet with Respondent every other week either virtually or in person;

              b. Obtain a status of each of Respondent’s cases and discuss, examine

                    and review each case with Respondent, which will include, inter alia, the

                    type of case, confirmation that each file has a fee agreement and a

                    conflict check was performed, all pending deadlines, all discovery
         requests, and all client communications to ensure that Respondent

         replies timely to clients’ requests;

      c. Discuss with Respondent any attorney/client concerns, outstanding

         requests from clients or families, payment status for each case, and

         scheduling of client meetings/visitations if required;

      d. Examine Respondent’s law office organization and procedures;

      e. Ensure that Respondent has worked on cases in a reasonably prompt

         and diligent manner; and

      f. File quarterly written reports with the Board Prothonotary in which

         Attorney Campos will include the following:

         i.     whether he met with Respondent bi-weekly as required and

                whether those meetings were in-person or remote;

         ii.    whether Respondent made his case files available for inspection

                and review;

         iii.   whether Respondent has abided by the Rules of Professional

                Conduct;

         iv.    whether Attorney Campos has any concerns about Respondent’s

                law practice; and

         v.     the written consent and waivers from each client received during

                the relevant time period pursuant to Paragraph 4.

3. During the probationary period, Attorney Campos shall have access to all of

   Respondent’s files at all times via a G drive or some other electronic method,

   except under the restrictions discussed in Paragraph 4.

4. Prior to Attorney Campos having access to Respondent’s client files,

   Respondent shall notify the clients and request written consent and waivers
            from each individual client permitting Attorney Campos to review their individual

            files. If a client does not grant consent or does not sign a waiver, Attorney

            Campos shall not have access to that client’s file; however, Respondent shall

            provide to Attorney Campos a summary of that client’s matter without providing

            any identifying and/or confidential information. All written consent and waivers

            shall be filed with the Board Prothonotary, as provided in Paragraph 2(f)(v).

         5. During the first twelve months of the probationary period, Respondent shall

            make monthly payments in the amount of $458.33, for a total of $5,500, to Mr.

            Holder and provide proof to Disciplinary Counsel when each payment is

            forwarded to Mr. Holder.1

         6. Respondent understands and agrees that his conduct during the probationary

            period must conform with the Rules of Professional Conduct and the

            Pennsylvania Rules of Disciplinary Enforcement.

     It is further ordered that Respondent shall pay the costs incurred by the Disciplinary

Board in the investigation and prosecution of this matter.

1   The final payment to be $458.37.