Sullivan County lawyer Jason R. McLellan was reinstated to the practice of law yesterday subject to conditions imposed on May 13 when he was suspended for one year with two months to be served on active suspension and the remainder on probation. According to the terms of his probation, McLellan must engage a practice monitor to assess his case load, timeliness of tasks, adequacy of communication with clients and accounting procedures. The monitor must meet with McLellan monthly and provide written reports to the Board of Professional Responsibility.

The Tennessee Supreme Court on July 27 suspended 26 attorneys for failure to pay the annual registration fee and six lawyers for failure to pay the annual registration fee and submit certification that all eligible funds are held in an IOLTA account. See the full list of those suspended and reinstated for fee and IOLTA violations in 2020. See all administrative suspensions lists dating back to 2005.

The Tennessee Supreme Court today censured Davidson County lawyer Jason Daniel Holleman based on his representation of clients who sought to obtain a cemetery by adverse possession and move it to another location. Holleman filed a petition to quiet title and termination of a cemetery known as the Rains Cemetery. He delegated to a non-lawyer the responsibility of contacting descendants of the Rains family and publishing notice of the petition though he did not provide appropriate direction. Holleman also misrepresented to the court that (1) notice of the petition to quiet title had been published when it had not, and (2) a descendant of the family buried in the cemetery had agreed to re-inter the bodies at a perpetual care cemetery. Holleman obtained a default judgment on pleadings that, at the time the motion was filed, were no longer true as the historic cemetery had been restored. The court found his conduct violated Tennessee Rules of Professional Conduct 1.1, 1.3, 3.1, 5.3 and 5.4.

The Tennessee Supreme Court yesterday suspended Mississippi lawyer Candace Lenette Williamson from the practice of law for two years, retroactive to the date of a temporary suspension on Dec. 21, 2018. Williamson was directed to serve one year on active suspension, followed by one year of probation. The court took the action based on four complaints of misconduct and one self-reported instance of misconduct. The court found that Williamson failed to adequately communicate with clients, did not provide competent and diligent representation, engaged in the unauthorized practice of law, and failed to advise opposing counsel, clients and the court that she had been temporarily suspended from the practice of law. Her actions were determined to violate Rules of Professional Conduct 1.1, 1.3, 1.4, 1.16(d), 3.2, 3.3, 5.5, 8.1 and 8.4 (a) and (g).

The Tennessee Supreme Court today censured Jackson lawyer Bede O.M. Anyanwu and stipulated that he must not seek payment for any outstanding balance owed by a client. The court found that Anyanwu raised claims in a civil pleading that had no factual or legal basis, and though he had an obligation to withdraw such claims upon determination that the claims could not be supported, he failed to do so. The court also found that Anyanwu failed to keep his client informed of fees billed, charged unreasonable fees for the work done, and revealed confidential information in his motion to withdraw. His actions were determined to violate Rules of Professional Conduct 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 3.1 and 8.4(a) and (d).

The Tennessee Supreme Court today censured Sullivan County lawyer Steven Carl Frazier and ordered him to reimburse his client $2,500 within 90 days. The court found that Frazier (1) improperly shared a fee with an attorney outside his firm without obtaining the written consent of his client; (2) failed to diligently prosecute a civil action, which resulted in the court’s dismissal of the action for lack of prosecution (though he later was able to have the dismissal set aside); and (3) failed to adequately communicate with his client and the Board of Professional Responsibility. His actions were determined to violate Rules of Professional Conduct 1.3, 1.4, 1.5(e), 3.2, 8.1(b) and 8.4(a) and (d).

The Tennessee Supreme Court yesterday suspended 29 attorneys for failure to pay the annual registration fee and two lawyers for failure to pay the annual registration fee and submit certification that all eligible funds are held in an IOLTA account. See the full list of those suspended and reinstated for fee and IOLTA violations in 2020. See all administrative suspensions lists dating back to 2005.

The Tennessee Supreme Court disbarred Loudon County lawyer Arthur Wayne Henry from the practice of law today. Henry consented to disbarment acknowledging that he could not successfully defend the charges alleged in a complaint filed against him. The court found his conduct violated Rules of Professional Conduct 1.1, 1.3, 1.4, 8.1(b) and 8.4(a), (c), (d) and (g).

Williamson County lawyer David Dwayne Harris was reinstated to the practice of law today. He had been suspended by the Tennessee Supreme Court on May 1 for two years with 60 days to be spent on active suspension. Harris filed a reinstatement petition on May 25. The Board of Professional Responsibility found the petition to be satisfactory.

Davidson County Lawyer Newton S. Holiday was today reinstated to the active practice of law by order of the Tennessee Supreme Court. Newton received a temporary suspension on June 18 for failure to respond to the Board of Professional Responsibility’s request for information. Holiday then provided an appropriate response and on July 10 filed a motion to set aside order of temporary suspension. The Board filed a response yesterday acknowledging the sufficiency of Holiday’s response and had no objection to his motion.