TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Stacey Shrader Joslin on Oct 14, 2019

The Tennessee Supreme Court today suspended Shelby County lawyer Gail Ostby Mathes for two years, with six months to be served on active suspension and 18 months to be served on probation. The court conditioned the probation time on Mathes paying restitution to three former clients. The court considered multiple complaints against Mathes. She acknowledged failing to (1) properly supervise a legal assistant in her office, (2) communicate with several clients, (3) refund unearned retainers, (4) provide diligent legal services, (5) provide documentation of her IOLTA account after an overdraft, and (6) respond to disciplinary complaints. Her actions were determined to violate Rules of Professional Conduct 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.15(d), 1.6(a) and (d), 5.3(a), (b) and (c), 8.1(a) and (b), and 8.4(a), (c), (d) and (g).