The Tennessee Supreme Court today transferred the law license of Kentucky lawyer Shelly R. Fears to disability inactive status. Fears may not practice law while on disability inactive status. She may return to the practice of law after reinstatement, which requires a showing of clear and convincing evidence that the disability has been removed and she is fit to resume the practice of law.

Knox County attorney Bailey McKillop Harned was censured today by the Board of Professional Responsibility. Harned was paid a flat fee by a minor child’s mother to reinstate visitation. Although Harned did not obtain a written fee agreement, she did not deposit the fee into her trust account. She failed to communicate with her client and finally filed a petition to modify custody on the client’s behalf more than one year after she was retained. At that time, the minor child had been adopted by the father’s new wife 16 months earlier.

Four lawyers were reinstated to the practice of law in January. Sullivan County lawyer Steven Carl Frazier was reinstated to the practice of law on Jan. 31. He had been suspended on Jan. 17 for failure to respond to the Board of Professional Responsibility. Ohio lawyer John Edward Gilliland was reinstated on Jan. 17 retroactive to Dec. 27, 2019. He had been placed on military exempt status in June 2010. Georgia lawyer Wesley Calvin Jackson was reinstated to the practice of law on Jan. 31 retroactive to Jan. 17. Jackson was placed on inactive status in May 2014. Finally, Shelby County lawyer Lauren Siegel Spicer was reinstated on Jan. 15 retroactive to Dec. 20, 2019. She was placed on inactive status in October 2012.

Davidson County lawyer A. Sais Phillips Finney received a public censure from the Tennessee Supreme Court yesterday for violations of Rules of Professional Conduct 1.3, 1.4, 1.16, 3.4(c) and 8.4(d). Finney was representing a client in a custody matter in juvenile court when the father of the children asked that a request for rehearing be withdrawn. Finney told her client that she would seek reimbursement of attorney fees against the father, but she did not file the motion. She also failed to respond to at least two requests in writing from her client to provide an affidavit to assist in seeking reimbursement of the fees and failed to respond to an order from the court that she provide an affidavit of fees and signed retainer letter directly to the court. Due to her lack of response, the client’s request for fees against the father was eventually dismissed.

Yesterday, Louisville attorney Cassidy Teater was prohibited from practicing law in the courts of the State of Tennessee by the state Supreme Court and ordered to pay restitution to one client as a condition of reinstatement. Teater, who is licensed to practice law in Kentucky and Texas, represented an individual in U.S. Immigration Court while living in Nashville. After accepting payment from the client, Teater ceased communication and failed to perform the services for which she was paid, a violation of the Rules of Professional Conduct 1.1, 1.3, 1.4(a), 1.5, 1.16(d), 8.1(b) and 8.4(a). Teater must pay the court within 90 days of the order.

Davidson County lawyer Philip Joseph Perez was suspended today based on his failure to respond to two complaints of misconduct. He is immediately precluded from accepting any new cases and must cease representing existing clients by Feb. 26.

The Tennessee Supreme Court transferred the law license of Williamson County lawyer John Ewing Brandon to disability inactive status today. He may not practice law while on disability inactive status but may petition the court for reinstatement by showing by clear and convincing evidence that the disability has been removed, and he is fit to resume the practice of law.

Shelby County lawyer Michael Leon Harris was censured today for violating Rules of Professional Conduct 3.1, 8.4(d), 3.3 and 8.1. The Tennessee Supreme Court found that while representing a homeowner in a detainer action by the mortgagor, Harris filed four petitions for bankruptcy, but made no subsequent filings to any of them, resulting in dismissal of the petitions. The court wrote that the petitions “were not meritorious and were, instead, filed to improperly stop execution on valid writs of execution.” The court also found that Harris typed his client’s name as a “signature” for each petition without getting the actual signature, and failed to respond to requests for information on the matter.

Nashville lawyer James D.R. Roberts was censured by the Tennessee Supreme Court today. The court took the action after determining that Roberts enlarged the scope of his legal services with a client and altered the terms of his fee agreement without adequately communicating with his client. Roberts later claimed an interest in certain funds paid for the benefit of his client, which led to a dispute and termination of his representation. After a hearing, the court denied the payment of any funds to Roberts. His actions were determined to violate Rules of Professional Conduct 1.5 and 1.8(a).

The Tennessee Supreme Court yesterday suspended 106 attorneys who did not pay the annual professional privilege tax. The attorneys include those living in Tennessee as well as 17 other states and the District of Columbia. Download the order here.