The Supreme Court of Tennessee today entered an order suspending Campbell County lawyer Michael Glen Hatmaker from the practice of law for five years, with minimum of four years served as an active suspension and the remainder served on probation. Hatmaker executed a conditional guilty plea acknowledging he made material misrepresentations to clients and opposing counsel, failed to expedite litigation and diligently represent clients, failed to reasonably communicate with clients, and failed to properly maintain client funds in his trust account. Read the order from the Board of Professional Responsibility.

Three attorneys were recently reinstated to the practice of law after being on inactive status for more than five years. They are: Macon County lawyer Brent Nelson Jones, Knox County lawyer Eric Reagan and Arizona attorney Roy Lee Steers Jr. Each filed a petition seeking reinstatement. Following review, the Board of Professional Responsibility stated that the petitions were satisfactory and the requirements for reinstatement had been met.

The Supreme Court of Tennessee temporarily suspended Davidson County lawyer Daphne Michelle Davis from the practice of law on Sept. 21 after finding that she failed to respond to the Board of Professional Responsibility regarding a complaint of misconduct. She is immediately precluded from accepting any new cases, and she must cease representing existing clients by Oct. 21. The suspension will remain in effect until dissolution or modification by the Supreme Court.

The Tennessee Supreme Court on Oct. 2 suspended Rutherford County Lawyer Carla Ann Kent Ford from the practice of law for five years and ordered her to pay restitution to two former clients as a condition of reinstatement. The Board of Professional Responsibility filed three complaints of misconduct against Ford alleging that she failed to communicate with or diligently represent clients, failed to adequately notify clients of her suspension, and in two of the cases failed to provide written fee agreements. The board also found that she failed to respond to the charges.

The Tennessee Supreme Court on Friday reinstated Shelby County attorney Larry Edward Parrish to the practice of law. He had been suspended on Aug. 14 for six months, with 30 days to be served as an active suspension and the remainder on probation. The board found that his petition for reinstatement was satisfactory and submitted an Order of Reinstatement to the Court.

Shelby County attorney Clay McCormack on Friday was suspended from the practice of law by the Tennessee Supreme Court for five years, with one year of active suspension and the remainder to be served on probation. McCormack closed numerous real estate transactions in which he performed actions of ethical misconduct that violated Rules of Professional Conduct 1.1, Competence; 4.1(a), Truthfulness in Statements to Others; and 8.4(a) and (c), Misconduct. As conditions of his probation, McCormack must engage a practice monitor and commit no further acts of misconduct resulting in a recommendation of discipline.

The law licenses of Knoxville attorney Monica Joy Franklin and Shelby County attorneys Jerry Francis Taylor and Samuel Lee Perkins were today transferred to disability inactive status pursuant to Section 27.3 of Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 9.