Knox County lawyer Daniel Wayne Starnes was censured on Tuesday for practicing law while his license was suspended. The Tennessee Supreme Court found that in August 2015, while his license was suspended for CLE noncompliance, Starnes made various court appearances and sent legal correspondence. Read the BPR notice.

Florida lawyer Frank Alfred Baker was suspended from the practice of law on Monday until further notice. The Tennessee Supreme Court took the action after Baker was convicted of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, four counts of wire fraud, two counts of making a false statement to the FDIC and making a false claim against the United States. The court ordered the Board of Professional Responsibility to institute a formal proceeding to determine final discipline. Read the BPR notice.

Alabama lawyer Lance William Parr was censured on Friday by the Tennessee Supreme Court after the court found he discontinued representation of a client due to his prior disbarment, failed to provide the client file or promptly refund unearned fees to the client, and failed to provide a response to the disciplinary complaint against him.  As a condition of the censure, Parr is required to reimburse $600 in fees to his former client within 90 days. Read the BPR notice.

The law license of Washington County lawyer Charles Pittman Cole Jr. was transferred to disability inactive status on July 22. He may not practice law while on 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 practice. Read the BPR release.

Sullivan County lawyer Thomas Alan Snapp was suspended from the practice of law for five years on July 21. The Tennessee Supreme Court took the action after finding that Snapp undertook representation in a personal injury/wrongful death suit while administratively suspended and did not tell his client or another lawyer assisting with the case about the suspension. After the case settled, Snapp misappropriated $50,000 from his client and led co-counsel to believe that the client had been paid in full. Several months later, co-counsel discovered the truth and confronted Snapp, who re-paid the client's settlement funds and legal fees. Read the BPR notice.

Shelby County lawyer Keith Lamonte Dobbs was disbarred on July 21 by the Tennessee Supreme Court. The court reports that Dobbs consented to the disbarment because he could not successfully defend himself on charges that he violated the Tennessee Rules of Professional Conduct. Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 9, Section 23, requires that his consent be maintained under seal. Read the BPR release.

Davidson County lawyer Ronald Andre Stewart was censured on July 18 after the court found he unreasonably delayed taking action in two cases and failed to notify clients that their cases were subsequently dismissed. In one case, Stewart failed to respond to a motion to dismiss and failed to appear at the motion hearing, which lead to the dismissal of two defendants with prejudice. In the second matter, Stewart filed a voluntary dismissal with regard to two defendants while another motion to dismiss – based on his failure to respond to written discovery – was pending. Read the BPR notice.

Madison County lawyer Jeffrey James Mueller on Monday was censured for failing to (1) lodge an order as directed by the court and (2) answer the court within the time period prescribed. Mueller argued that a scheduling conflict kept him from the hearing but the court found he failed to take reasonable steps to obtain a continuance. Mueller appealed the judgment but the appeal was dismissed due to his failure to cite to the administrative record in his briefs. Read the BPR notice.

Alabama lawyer John Hollis McElheny was censured by the Tennessee Supreme Court on July 18. The court found that McElheny provided financial assistance to his client on two occasions prior to resolution of the case and failed to safeguard a client settlement check by failing to deposit the check in his trust account. Read the BPR notice.

Shelby County lawyer Johnny Quitman Rasberry Jr. was censured on July 18. Rasberry was hired by a client in a divorce case and received an agreed marital dissolution agreement signed by both parties in June 2014. But he then failed to file the motion until February 2015, at which point the signed agreement was stale. The Tennessee Supreme Court found that his actions violated the rules of conduct. It also found that Rasberry failed to timely respond to a complaint filed with the Board of Professional Responsibility by the client. Read the BPR notice.