Grievance Defense Attorney in New York

Strong Representation from an Experienced Team

The New York Bar has standards in place to foster professionalism throughout the Bar. To ensure all lawyers adhere to these standards, there are appellate division and bar association grievance committees tasked to investigate and resolve grievances to determine if an attorney has violated the Rules of Professional Conduct or other ethical strictures.

Our attorneys provide knowledgeable defense of client grievances as well as sua sponte grievances brought by the committees based upon criminal convictions, news stories, etc. We have extensive experience in all areas of attorney discipline and are very familiar with the systems in which these matters are handled.

We will apply our experience and knowledge to your case and will work to resolve your situation as favorably as possible. Contact us to discuss the details of your case.

We are available for a confidential consultations. Call our NY grievance defense lawyer at (516) 980-3692 or send us a message today.

Types of Client Based Grievances

There are many reasons that a client may feel the need to file a grievance against an attorney. A client can file a grievance if they have any reason to believe that an attorney they worked with was dishonest, unethical, violated laws, or disobeyed the standards of conduct that are expected of legal professionals.

Some of the most common grievances are when a client believes that they:

• Were neglected by their attorney
• Did not receive the services they believe they paid for
• Entrusted funds to a lawyer and feel the funds were misused
• Were not given a retainer or statement of client rights
• Were not communicated with properly
• Were somehow taken advantage of

• Etc.

How Grievances are Filed and Resolved

Committees appointed by the various appellate divisions of the supreme court have original jurisdiction over attorney grievances and disciplinary proceedings in New York state. If a client wishes to file a complaint, they must do so formally and in writing. Committees may also open an investigation sua sponte. Grievances that are deemed less serious may be directed to bar associations grievance committees for investigation.

The committee that reviews a grievance will evaluate the allegations of the complaints and determine if they set forth a colorable claim of professional misconduct. If so, the committee will contact the subject attorney so they can submit a response. Based on the lawyer’s response and the arguments presented, the committee will decide on the best way to further investigate and resolve the complaint.

The grievance may be dismissed or the attorney may receive a warning or a private sanction. In 'more serious' cases, the grievance committee may bring the matter before the appropriate appellate division by the filing of a petition in a Special Proceeding. At this point the individual grievance committees are no longer directly involved in the process, although their staff attorneys assume the role of the prosecutor.

The reality is most lawyers are completely unfamiliar with and baffled by the grievance process. This is because these matters are confidential until resolved. Moreover, this is not a process taught in law school. Most lawyers, facing a grievance and the tight time schedule the committee sets for filing a response, are panicked and uncertain as to what they should do. Many lawyers over-respond, creating additional problems for themselves. Some lawyers fail to properly respond, resulting in a charge of failure to cooperate.

Because grievances have the potential to cause the loss of license or otherwise damage careers, you should have skilled experienced grievance defense counsel to represent you. Our team is prepared to provide just that.

If you are interested in speaking with our grievance defense attorneys in New York, complete our contact form or call (516) 980-3692 to schedule a confidential consultation.