Can a lawyer use an advice-of-counsel defense in a disciplinary case? The Florida Supreme Court last month accepted the defense, adopting a referee’s report in a case spotlighting the issue.
The lawyer in the case personally guaranteed a loan for his own business venture. Unable to repay the loan, and facing hard-hitting collection methods from
“Pervasive incivility” was part of a package of wrongdoing that resulted in disbarment for a D.C.-area lawyer last month. The case sheds light on the potential, and very real, downsides when lawyers depart from professional conduct ideals.
Client authority lacking
The lawyer was admitted in Maryland and D.C., as well as Virginia, and his troubles