The Tennessee Supreme Court censured Montgomery County lawyer Carrie Watson Gasaway on April 13. The court took the action after Gasaway accepted a nonrefundable retainer from a client with $250 designated to be held in trust.  At the conclusion of the representation, Gasaway provided no explanation for her use of the funds held in trust and did not refund the money. Gasaway also accepted a $3,500 fee from a client and did no work, and she failed to respond to requests for information from the client. Gasaway was previously disbarred on Oct. 5, 2015. Read the BPR release.

Baton Rouge, Louisiana, lawyer G. Allen Walsh was censured by the Tennessee Supreme Court on April 19 for practicing law in the state without a license. The court found that Walsh filed numerous eviction cases in a Tennessee court though he was not licensed to practice in the state.

The law license of Knox County lawyer Yarboro Ann Sallee was transferred to disability inactive status on April 15. She may not practice law while on inactive status, but may petition the court for reinstatement by showing by clear and convicting evidence that the disability has been removed and she is fit to resume the practice of law. Read the BPR notice.

The Tennessee Supreme Court censured Alabama lawyer Clinton Chadwell Carter on April 15 for practicing law while suspended. The court also found that he failed to comply with filing requirements in a medical malpractice action, which proved fatal to the case. Carter then failed to inform his client of the dismissal of the case for more than six months. Read the BPR notice.

Madison County attorney Angela Joy Hopson was censured by the Tennessee Supreme Court on April 14 for practicing law while suspended. In September 2015, Hopson’s license was suspended for failure to pay the professional privilege tax. She appeared in court on Oct. 30, 2015, to represent a defendant in a criminal case and continued practicing law for two more weeks until a colleague drew her attention to the suspension. Hopson’s license was returned to active status on Nov. 17, 2015. Read the BPR notice.

William Preston Sutherland, a Davidson County attorney, was censured by the state Supreme Court on April 13. Sutherland’s law license was suspended in 1997 and has never been reinstated. After the suspension of his license, he did investigative and legal work for one client and billed the client $4,435.42 for the work, which the client paid. Sutherland also borrowed $1,021.29 from the client for his personal expenses and did not repay the loan. The court directed Sutherland to pay restitution to the client for fees paid and funds borrowed. Read the BPR notice.

The Tennessee Supreme Court today suspended Shelby County lawyer Michael Barton Brooks from the practice of law for three years, retroactive to Dec. 3, 2015. He was summarily suspended on that date pursuant to Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 9, Section 22.3, based upon his guilty plea to aggravated assault and vehicular assault. The order was effective upon entry. Read the BPR release. 

On April 11, Nashville attorney Susan Marie Reilly was censured by the state Supreme Court for leaving the state of Tennessee without informing her client and taking no further action to prosecute her client’s case. She also terminated representation without assisting her client in securing new counsel and failed to promptly surrender the client’s file or refund unearned fees. The court directed Reilly to refund $1,705 in fees to her former client within 180 days. Read the BPR notice.

The Tennessee Supreme Court censured Maury County attorney Joel Robert Bellis on April 5. The court took the action after Bellis failed to secure a written agreement from his client to establish a non-refundable fee, failed to deposit the fee in his trust account and failed to promptly refund unearned fees and costs to his client after representation was terminated. The court also directed Bellis to refund $3,100 in fees to his former client within 180 days. Read the BPR notice.

Memphis attorney Kimberly Cross Shields was censured by the Tennessee Supreme Court on April 5. Shields made misrepresentations and omissions to the court and entered an ex parte order without agreement of opposing counsel. Read the BPR notice.