TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Julia Wilburn on Jul 7, 2026

On July 6, Shelby County attorney Robert Dean Flynn received a public censure from the Tennessee Board of Professional Responsibility. The board found that over the course of six months, Flynn knowingly commingled personal and client funds in his firm’s IOLTA and paid personal and operating expenses from the account. He also held a client’s funds for 49 days, during which time the IOLTA fell below the client’s held balance of $3273.70 for a week before the account became overdrawn, placing the client’s funds at risk. The board found that no clients suffered actual harm from Flynn’s actions but that he violated Rules of Professional Conduct 1.15(a), (b) and (c).