Being accused of professional misconduct is serious. If found guilty of a client complaint or any violation of the Rules of Professional Conduct, an attorney could be disbarred, suspended or face other severe consequences.
It is crucial to have somebody on your side who knows the grievance process inside and out and who will defend you when facing grievances or disciplinary proceedings.
Chris McDonough is a lawyer who provides New York attorneys exceptional representation based upon over 30 years of experience exclusively in the field of professional ethics. He has extensive experience defending lawyers facing charges of serious’ professional misconduct. Contact our office today to speak with one of our disciplinary defense lawyers in New York.
A disciplinary dispute can arise based on any accusation that a lawyer did not adhere to professional rules of conduct, violated the law, was neglectful of their clients, misused funds, and many other issues. Accusations are often brought forward by clients, but may also come from other lawyers, firm management, professional organizations, media sources, etc.
A disciplinary defense may focus on situations such as:
More serious cases can result in formal disciplinary proceedings before the Appellate Division. These matters are tried before a special referee appointed by the court and are akin to Article 4 special proceedings.
Ultimate decisions can be either public or private. Public decisions issuing a sanction can be devastating to an attorney’s career as they are searchable online indefinitely. Even a private sanction can have severe consequences, as they are considered notice to change your practice and may increase any future sanction issued. They can also have a negative impact on future judicial hopes, attaining sensitive positions, and increase your malpractice policy costs.
