TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Paul Burch on Oct 18, 2023

Don Anthony Handley, an attorney licensed to practice law in Tennessee, received a public censure today from the Board of Professional Responsibility of the Tennessee Supreme Court. Handley settled a personal injury case in January 2019. Handley’s support staff assigned to the file inadvertently failed to deposit the settlement check received from the insurance carrier for the at-fault driver, and the error was not identified until July 2022. The error later resulted in an overdraft on Handley’s trust account. Handley’s failure to identify the error evidences a breach of his obligation to create and maintain appropriate trust account management protocols, as well as his duty to appropriately train and supervise his staff. By these acts, Handley has violated Rules of Professional Conduct 1.15 (safekeeping client funds and property) and 5.1 (managerial and supervisory responsibilities).