Court Opinion

ID: 9763750
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-29 02:54:51.949442+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:29:49.393741
License: Public Domain

Eldridge, J.,

dissenting:

Although Kahn’s misconduct, as found by the trial judge, was extremely serious and requires strong disciplinary action, I believe that the ultimate sanction of disbarment is not warranted under all of the circumstances of this case. Instead, I would favor a substantial suspension.
Preliminarily, I cannot agree with the majority’s sustaining the exception to Judge Grady’s refusal to find *685that Kahn’s misconduct involved moral turpitude similar to that involved in Attorney Griev. Comm’n v. Klauber, 289 Md. 446, 423 A.2d 578 (1981), and Attorney Griev. Comm’n v. Reamer, 281 Md. 323, 379 A.2d 171 (1977), and in the majority’s making this finding de novo for itself. The trial judge heard the witnesses, including the testimony of Kahn. Furthermore, there were many facts before the trial judge distinguishing this case from Klauber and Reamer. Kahn was a salaried employee, not directly profiting from the misconduct and obeying instructions from his employer — a senior attorney. Unlike Klauber and Reamer, he was not criminally convicted; in fact, the United States Attorney’s office refused to prosecute him. The experienced trial judge, hearing Kahn’s and Berman’s testimony, taking into consideration Berman’s vindictiveness, and seeing basic differences between this case and the Klauber and Reamer cases, was entitled to conclude that Bar Counsel had failed to persuade him that Kahn had the same fraudulent intent involved in Klauber and Reamer.
Apart from the above-discussed "finding,” there are in this case mitigating circumstances which properly bear upon the sanction to be imposed. The majority admits that "[i]t is true that Kahn was not the prime mover or architect of the illegal scheme.” The majority acknowledges that Kahn was young and inexperienced. He was a salaried employee, hired only three years out of law school in a "plaintiffs personal injury” practice which conducted business in a certain manner. He was following the requirements of his superior, a more experienced attorney. Being on salary, he did not directly benefit from the improper practices.
Although the manner of practicing by Berman was illegal and unethical, it was, unfortunately, a known common practice among many similar firms in Baltimore City at the time. This has been shown in the many criminal investigations and prosecutions in recent years, as well as by information conveyed by Baltimore City lawyers since the commencement of those criminal investigations. We often tell young lawyers that they do not learn the "practical” aspects of practicing law from law school but that such *686knowledge comes from experience, acquired from working for law firms or for more senior members of the bar. While not excusable, it is understandable that a relatively new member of the bar, going to work for a law firm or for an experienced attorney, and seeing how things are actually done in practice, would acquiesce, even though he knew or suspected that the manner in which the law practice was conducted was wrong.
Although the majority does not dispute the existence of the above-discussed factors in this case, the majority either simply discounts them or seems to say that they do not excuse Kahn’s misconduct. I fully agree that none of these factors excuse Kahn’s misconduct; he should have known, and admitted that he did know, that the practices in which he engaged were wrong. Nevertheless, these factors should be considered in determining the appropriate sanction. Considering all of the circumstances, I would not disbar this young attorney but would suspend him for a substantial period of time.
Judges Cole and Davidson have authorized me to state that they concur with the views expressed herein.