TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Stacey Shrader Joslin on May 22, 2023

The Tennessee Supreme Court today suspended Rutherford County lawyer Gary Neil Patton from the practice of law for one year, with 30 days to be served on active suspension and the remainder on probation. The court took the action after the Board of Professional Responsibility found that Patton failed to reasonably communicate with his client; collected a fee for work he performed without filing a motion for approval of the fee in violation of the rules of the Probate Court; failed to maintain client funds in his trust account prior to receiving approval of the court; obtained a release of liability from his client without advising his client in writing of the desirability of seeking independent counsel; and engaged in unprofessional conduct through inappropriate conversations with his client His actions were determined to violate Rules of Professional Conduct 1.4, 1.5, 1.7, 1.8 (h) and 1.15. The court did find that Patton deposited the fee he had received when ordered to do so.