McMinn County lawyer Larry Dean Cantrell was disbarred from the practice of law today. The Tennessee Supreme Court took the action after finding that he misappropriated funds and did not complete the work to close estates while serving as attorney in three separate estates and trusts. The court also directed Cantrell to pay $65,000 in restitution to his clients. His actions were determined to violate Rules of Professional Conduct 1.3, 1.5(a), 3.2, 3.4(c) and 8.4(a), (b), (c) and (d).

The Tennessee Supreme Court has reinstated four lawyers who were placed on inactive status. Angela Spinella Bonovich was reinstated effective Jan. 17. She had been placed on inactive status in 2013. Alexandra Huber Cain was reinstated Feb. 18. She had been placed on military exempt status in 2014. Christopher Troy Clark was reinstated effective Feb. 12. He had been placed on inactive status in 2012. And Jennifer Leah Roche was reinstated effective Feb. 11. She had been placed on inactive status in 2014.

Hamilton County attorney Charles Gammon Wright today received a public censure from the Supreme Court of Tennessee. The Board of Professional Responsibility found that Wright failed to advise his client of the one-year statute of limitations prior to its expiration and did not notify his client of the termination of his representation. Wright’s actions violated Rules of Professional Conduct 1.16(d) and 8.4(a) and he has been ordered to pay the costs of the disciplinary proceedings.

Virginia-based lawyer Jordan Jones Hays on Wednesday was publicly censured by Order of Reciprocal Discipline entered by the Supreme Court of Tennessee. The Virginia State Bar Disciplinary Board issued a public reprimand of Hays in August for falsely communicating with two of her clients and later, their counsel. A Notice of Reciprocal Discipline was entered by the Tennessee Supreme Court in December, giving Hays 30 days to explain why the discipline imposed in Virginia should not be imposed in Tennessee. Hays did not file a response.

Sumner County lawyer Rex Austin Chamberlain was censured today by the Tennessee Supreme Court. The court took the action based on one complaint of misconduct by Chamberlain’s former employees. The group alleged that Chamberlain received referrals for legal services from Patriot Angels, which is not an intermediary organization regulated by Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 44. Chamberlain agreed to a conditional guilty plea acknowledging he accepted referrals in violation of Rules of Professional Conduct 5.4, 7.1, 7.2(c) and (d), 7.3(a), 7.6(a) and (b) and 8.4(a).

The Supreme Court of Tennessee disbarred Kentucky lawyer Jonathan Stephen Carlton from the practice of law today. The court found that Carlton knowingly undertook representation of a new client while suspended from the practice of law, charged an unreasonable fee, filed pleadings in court while suspended, failed to reasonably communicate with his client, failed to act in a diligent manner, and failed to respond to the Board of Professional Responsibility about a complaint. His actions violated Rules of Professional Conduct 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.16, 3.3, 5.5, 8.1(b) and 8.4(a), (c), (d) and (g).

The Tennessee Supreme Court suspended 21 attorneys yesterday for failure to pay the annual registration fee and/or submit certification that all eligible funds are held in an IOLTA account. See the full list of those suspended and access the court orders, or see all administrative suspensions.

The Supreme Court held today that the Board of Professional Responsibility failed to prove that attorney James S. MacDonald violated any Rules of Professional Conduct, resulting in the dismissal of the disciplinary allegations against him. The original petition for discipline was filed against MacDonald after he added the signature of the opposing party to a copy of a draft letter that he believed, in the original transmission, was signed and sent by the opposing party. The hearing panel of the BPR determined the BPR had failed to establish a violation of the Rules of Professional Conduct, but on appeal by the BPR, a trial court reversed that holding. MacDonald then appealed to the Supreme Court which unanimously decided he had added the signature in good faith that there was a signed original, thus reinstating the hearing panel’s dismissal of the petition for discipline against MacDonald. Read the unanimous opinion.

Huntersville, North Carolina, attorney George Cooper Bell, was today censured by the Tennessee Supreme Court. Bell received a public reprimand issued by the Grievance Committee of the North Carolina State Bar on Aug. 7, 2019, for making a false statement to the court. A Notice of Reciprocal Discipline was issued on Oct. 28, 2019, giving Bell 30 days to inform the court why the discipline imposed by the Grievance Committee of the North Carolina State Bar should not be imposed by the Tennessee Supreme Court. Bell provided no response.

The Tennessee Supreme Court today suspended Georgia lawyer James A. Dunlap from the practice of law in Tennessee for one year. The court found that Dunlap failed to provide an administrative law judge with material information regarding related federal claims, misled the judge regarding the status of those claims, attempted to influence the judge by threatening to sue her if she did not grant the remedies he was requesting, impeded in the administrative appeal process by engaging in conduct that was duplicitous and bullying, was unapologetic and saw nothing improper in his conduct. His actions were found to violate Rules of Professional Conduct 3.3, 3.5(a), 8.4(c) and 8.4(d).