SANCTIONS AND ACTIONS AFFECTING LICENSURE (FY 2019)
COURT NEWS: Disbarred, suspended, reprimanded attorneys of Maryland for Feb. 15, 2019
BAILEY, Charles B. – Suspended by Consent for thirty (30) days, effective December 5, 2018, for failing to appropriately safeguard property and maintain complete records of his attorney trust account, and for making cash withdrawals from his attorney trust account. Respondent transferred funds from his attorney trust account to his political campaign
BERGMAN, Ronald Bruce (Rockville, Md. )– Disbarred by Consent on December 14, 2018, effective December 31, 2018, for failing to safe-keep client funds in trust, failing to maintain adequate records for his attorney trust account, failing to timely respond to Bar Counsel, knowingly making false statements to Bar Counsel, committing a criminal act that that reflects adversely on his honesty, trustworthiness, and fitness as an attorney and engaging in conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit or misrepresentation that is prejudicial to the administration of justice.
BLAIR, Walter Lloyd – Disbarred on July 13, 2018, for committing a criminal act that that reflects adversely on his honesty, trustworthiness or fitness as an attorney, engaging in conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit or misrepresentation, and engaging in conduct that is prejudicial to the administration of justice. Respondent assisted a client in concealing money linked to a large marijuana distribution ring and was subsequently convicted of money laundering, witness tampering, making a false statement, and willful failure to file federal income tax returns.
BLYTHE, Angela M. – Disbarred by Consent on July 9, 2018, for committing a criminal act that that reflects adversely on her honesty, trustworthiness or fitness as an attorney, engaging in conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit or misrepresentation, and engaging in conduct that is prejudicial to the administration of justice. Respondent was convicted of conspiracy to defraud financial institutions, bank fraud and making false statements to financial institutions.
BURKE, Lynn Marie – Commission Reprimand on September 27, 2018, for failing to diligently represent her client in an immigration matter and engaging in the unauthorized practice of law.
BURTON, William Franklin – Commission Reprimand on December 3, 2018, for settling a potential malpractice claim with an unrepresented former client without advising in writing of the desirability of seeking independent legal counsel and without allowing a reasonable opportunity to seek independent legal advice.
DOBBS, Michael David – Disbarment by Consent on October 26, 2018, for committing a criminal act that that reflects adversely on his honesty, trustworthiness or fitness as an attorney, and engaging in conduct that is prejudicial to the administration of justice. Respondent pleaded guilty to one count of sexual solicitation of a minor.
FALUSI, Olayemi I. – Indefinite Suspension on August 16, 2018, for establishing a law firm in Maryland with Stephen Anthony Lang and representing a client in a collections matter prior to his admission to the Maryland Bar. Respondent failed to disclose to the State Board of Law Examiners that he established a firm and was being investigated for unauthorized practice of law by Bar Counsel. Respondent also misrepresented facts regarding his unauthorized practice to Bar Counsel during its investigation.
FERNANDEZ, Alexander – Disbarment by Consent on November 26, 2018, in a reciprocal action with the District of Columbia, for failing to appropriately safeguard property and maintain complete records of his attorney trust account, and for engaging in conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit or misrepresentation and that is prejudicial to the administration of justice. While employed as an associate, Respondent failed to deliver attorneys’ fees to the firm and instead misappropriated those funds for his personal use and benefit. Respondent also failed to deposit and maintain advance fees paid by a client into the firm’s attorney trust account and used client funds for his personal use and benefit.
GIANNETTI Jr., John Alexander – Indefinite Suspension by Consent on December 12, 2018, for knowingly failing to respond to Bar Counsel and engaging in conduct that is prejudicial to the administration of justice.
GORMAN, Michael David – Disbarment by Consent on October 26, 2018, for committing a criminal act that that reflects adversely on his honesty, trustworthiness or fitness as an attorney, engaging in conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit or misrepresentation, and engaging in conduct that is prejudicial to the administration of justice. Respondent pleaded guilty to one count of theft or bribery concerning programs receiving Federal funds.
HANOVER, Sean Regan – Disbarment by Consent on November 30, 2018, effective January 1, 2019, for committing a criminal act that that reflects adversely on his honesty, trustworthiness, and fitness as an attorney, and for engaging in activity that is prejudicial to the administration of justice. Respondent pleaded guilty to one count of distributing child pornography.
JALLOH (GHATT), Jeneba – Disbarment on August 29, 2018, for entering into two escrow agreements with clients, which effectively allowed the clients to misuse the attorney’s trust account as part of an advanced fee scam. Respondent subsequently misrepresented the existence of the escrow agreements creating the scam, her involvement in the scam, and her disbursements of the money.
LANG, Steven Anthony – Indefinite Suspension on August 16, 2018, for assisting Olayemi I. Falusi in the unauthorized practice of law, failing to maintain an attorney trust account, and backdating a motion during the representation of his client. Respondent was also dishonest to Bar Counsel during its investigation.
MARSHALL, Kimberly Lisa – Indefinite Suspension on September 28, 2018, in a reciprocal action from Virginia for failing to diligently represent and adequately communicate with her client, collecting an unreasonable fee, failing to safekeep unearned fees in an attorney trust account, failing to refund unearned fees upon termination of representation, and engaging in conduct that is prejudicial to the administration of justice. Despite collecting an
MASLAN, Gary Richard – Commission Reprimand on December 6, 2018, for failing to submit an application for cancellation of removal in an immigration matter, despite the fact that his client timely provided the information and documentation necessary to complete the application. As a result, the Court ordered that
McDANIEL, Brian Keith – Commission Reprimand on December 4, 2018, for depositing unearned fees directly into his business account, rather than his attorney trust account, without his client’s informed consent, confirmed in writing.
MERICLE, Linda – Commission Reprimand on July 23, 2018, for filing confessed judgment complaints with what appeared to be the actual signature of defense counsel. The complaints were signed with the permission and authorization of defense counsel, but the complaints did not state that they were signed for defense counsel with her permission. Respondent also filed notices with the court representing a copy of the complaint was hand-delivered to defense counsel when this was not always the case.
MILTON, Gregory J. – Commission Reprimand on July 2, 2018, for failing to timely submit a postponement which resulted in the dismissal of his client’s matter, failing to provide billing statements to his client, and failing to provide a client ledger upon Bar Counsel’s request.
PETROS, George Zacharias – Commission Reprimand on December 3, 2018, for disbursing disputed funds to his client while the opposing party intended for those funds to be held in trust, and for engaging in the unauthorized practice of law during a period of suspension.
POPPLETON, Aubrey Paige – Indefinite Suspension by Consent on September 28, 2018, for committing a criminal act which reflects adversely on her fitness as an attorney and engaging in conduct that is prejudicial to the administration of justice.
ROBBINS, Seth Adam – Suspended by Consent for sixty (60) days on December 12, 2018, retroactively effective from September 28, 2018, in a reciprocal action from the District of Columbia Court of Appeals, for failing to adequately communicate with his clients and failing to recognize that his representation of one client would be directly adverse to and would materially limit his responsibilities to another client. Respondent represented a government contractor and construction company and invited a friend and client to serve as an indemnitor for surety bonds on future construction projects, resulting in a conflict of interest.
ROWLAND, Dale Edward – Indefinite Suspension by Consent on September 28, 2018, effective November 28, 2018, for failing to competently represent his client, failing to safekeep funds in an attorney trust account, depositing his own funds in his attorney trust account, and knowingly failing to respond to a request for information by Bar Counsel.
SALGADO, Louis F. – Indefinite Suspension by Consent on September 28, 2018, for failing to represent his client competently and diligently, failing to abide by the scope of representation, failing to adequately communicate with his client, collecting unreasonable fees, failing to safekeep unearned fees in an attorney trust account, failing to supervise non-attorney assistants, assisting another in engaging in the unauthorized practice of law, making false or misleading communications about his legal services, misusing a firm’s name or letterhead, committing a criminal act that reflects adversely on his honesty, trustworthiness, or fitness as an attorney, and engaging in conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit or misrepresentation, and that is prejudicial to the administration of justice.
SCHAUB, Ruth Marguerite Marie – Commission Reprimand on December 4, 2018, for failing to adequately supervise her husband/ law partner after he was indefinitely suspended from the practice of law but continued to work in the firm as a compensated non-attorney assistant. Respondent failed to reasonably inform a client of the suspension, allowing the client to believe Respondent’s husband still represented her for a significant period of time after he was prohibited from practicing law.
SCHWABER, Jeffrey M. – Commission Reprimand on July 2, 2018, for failing to identify a conflict of interest between two firm clients and failing to supervise several junior attorneys who, over a period of months, exacerbated the conflict of interest by taking positions for the benefit of one client and to the detriment of another.
SHEDLICK, Christopher Broughton – Commission Reprimand on December 3, 2018, for failing to safe-keep client funds in trust and for failing to create and maintain adequate records for his attorney trust account.
SHEMENSKI, Steven Douglas – Disbarred by Consent on September 6, 2018, for failing to provide competent and diligent representation, failing to adequately communicate with clients, knowingly making a false statement of material fact to Bar Counsel, failing to respond to a demand for information by Bar Counsel, engaging in conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit, or other misrepresentation, and engaging in conduct prejudicial to the administration of justice.
SPERLING, Samuel – Commission Reprimand on August 28, 2018, for representing a client in business transactions and filing suit against that same client. Respondent was disqualified by the Court based upon a conflict of interest. Respondent also failed to respond to Bar Counsel during its investigation.
STEIN, Paul Theodore – Commission Reprimand on July 2, 2018, for disclosing confidential client communications, failing to identify a conflict of interest between two firm clients, and failing to supervise several junior attorneys who, over a period of months, exacerbated the conflict of interest by taking positions for the benefit of one client and to the detriment of another.
STEINHORN, Neil Warren – Indefinite Suspension on December 20, 2018, effective January 19, 2018, with the right to seek reinstatement after six (6) months, for failing to maintain candor to the tribunal and engaging in conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit or misrepresentation that is prejudicial to the administration of justice. While collecting debt on behalf of a homeowners’ association, Respondent combined his attorney’s fees with the amount of damages sought, listing one aggregate figure, even though the complaint form specifies that those amounts be itemized on separate lines. Respondent’s actions prevented the Court from assessing the reasonableness of the attorney’s fees.
TELL, Melinda Gale – Indefinite Suspension by Consent on September 28, 2018, for failing to represent her client competently and diligently, failing to abide by the scope of representation, failing to adequately communicate with her client, collecting unreasonable fees, failing to safekeep unearned fees in an attorney trust account, failing to properly withdraw from representation, knowingly failing to respond to a request for information by Bar Counsel, and engaging in conduct that is prejudicial to the administration of justice.
THOMPSON, Yolanda Massaabioseh – Suspended for sixty (60) days on December 14, 2018, for failing to provide competent and diligent representation to her client, failing to adequately communicate with her client, collecting unreasonable fees, failing to safe-keep client funds in trust, failing to take steps to protect her client’s interest upon termination of her representation, engaging in the unauthorized practice of law, failing to timely respond to Bar Counsel, knowingly making false statements to Bar Counsel and engaging in conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit or misrepresentation that is prejudicial to the administration of justice. Respondent, who is not a Maryland attorney, mismanaged her attorney trust account, misappropriated client funds and co-mingled personal funds with client funds.
TOBIAS, Charles Lee – Disbarment by Consent on October 26, 2018, for committing a criminal act that that reflects adversely on his honesty, trustworthiness or fitness as an attorney, engaging in conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit or misrepresentation, and engaging in conduct that is prejudicial to the administration of justice. Respondent pleaded guilty to filing a fraudulent individual tax return. Respondent claimed a charitable deduction of $239, 282.00, the allowable portion for a noncash charitable contribution in the amount of $516, 361.00, which was supported by an appraisal Respondent knew to be false.
UCHEOMUMU, Andrew N. – Disbarment on November 16, 2018, for failing to competently and diligently represent his client in an appeal in the Court of Special Appeals, failing to safekeep client funds, and making intentional misrepresentations to his client, the Court and to Bar Counsel.
WEBB, Sandy N. – Disbarment on October 26, 2018, in a reciprocal action from Oregon for failing to safekeep unearned fees and client funds in an attorney trust account, for using trust money for purposes other than the purpose for which the money is entrusted, engaging in conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit or misrepresentation, and engaging in conduct that is prejudicial to the administration of justice. Respondent deposited client settlement checks into her trust account, used the settlement funds to pay her personal and firm expenses and failed to disburse the total amount due to her client.
WOOLERY, Benjamin Jeremy – Commission Reprimand on July 5, 2018, for failing to provide competent representation to a client, failing to act with reasonable diligence and promptness in representing a client, and failing to create and maintain client matter records. Respondent, as the personal representative of an estate, routinely deposited and held certain estate funds in his law firm’s attorney escrow account instead of a separate account established in the name of the estate and used personal funds to pay interest and penalty amounts which were a direct result of his failure to file fiduciary tax returns and pay tax owed by the estate over a fifteen-year period.
WOOLERY, Benjamin Jeremy – Disbarment on December 20, 2018, for incompetence, failing to abide by the scope of representation and the allocation of authority between client and attorney, failing to adequately communicate with his client, collecting unreasonable fees, failing to recognize that his representation of one client would be directly adverse to and would materially limit his responsibilities to another client, failing to adhere to his duties to a former client, failing to safe-keep client funds in trust, improperly withdrawing from his client’s case and failing to surrender client property upon termination of his representation, filing frivolous pleadings, failure to maintain candor to the tribunal, directly soliciting employment from a prospective client for his own pecuniary gain, and engaging in conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit or misrepresentation that is prejudicial to the administration of justice. In an estate matter, Respondent misappropriated estate funds when he intentionally withheld and distributed estate funds to himself without client authorization and made misrepresentations to the Court in an attempt to secure legal fees from his former clients.
YACUB, Ivan – Reprimand by Consent on December 12, 2018, in a reciprocal action from the Supreme Court of Virginia, for failing to safe-keep client funds in trust. Respondent’s attorney trust account was overdrawn after he failed to create and maintain adequate records of the account.
ATTORNEY GRIEVANCE COMMISSION * OF MARYLAND Petitioner V. BRIAN DAVID SADUR Respondent IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF MARYLAND Misc. Docket AG No. 15 September Term, 2018 In the Circuit Court for Frederick County Case No. C-10-CV-18-000763 ORDER UPON CONSIDERATION of the Joint Petition of the Attorney Grievance Commission of Maryland the Respondent, Brian David Sadur, to indefinitely suspend the Respondent from the practice of law with the right to petition for reinstatement in six months, it is this 8th day of February, 2019; ORDERED, by the Court of Appeals of Maryland, that, effective April 30, 2019, the Respondent, Brian David Sadur, be indefinitely suspended from the practice of law in the State of Maryland with the right to petition for reinstatement in 6 months for violation of Rules 1.1, 1.15, 8.1(b), 8.4(a) and (d) of the Rules of Professional Conduct and Maryland Rules 16-604/19- 404, Rule 16-606.1/19-407, 16-607/19-408, and 16-609/19-410; and it is further ORDERED, that, on April 30, 2019, the Clerk of this Court shall remove the name Brian David Sadur from the register of attorneys in the Court and certify that fact to the Trustees of the Client Protection Fund of the Bar of Maryland and all clerks of all judicial tribunals in this State in accordance with Maryland Rule 19-742. /s/ Clayton Greene Jr. Senior Judge
IN THE MATTER OF THE PETITION {, IN THE FOR REINSTATEMENT OF COURT OF APPEALS CHARLES BOILEAU BAILEY * OF MARYLAND TO THE BAR OF MARYLAND * Misc. Docket AG No. 50 September Term, 2018 ORDER Upon consideration of the Petition for Reinstatement of Charles Boileau Bailey, Bar Counsel’s consent thereto, and the record herein, it is the _ day of January,2OI9, by the Court of Appeals of Maryland; ORDERED, that the Petition be, and the same hereby is, GRANTED; and it is further ORDERED, that Charles Boileau Bailey is reinstated as a member of the Bar of Maryland; and it is further ORDERED, that the Clerk of the Court shall replace the name of Charles Boileau Bailey upon the register of attorneys entitled to practice in this Court and certiff that fact to the Trustees of the Client Protection Fund and the clerks of all judicial tribunals in this state
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