The law license of South Carolina lawyer Keith Lane Edmiston was reinstated to the active practice of law today. Edmiston had been placed on disability inactive status on Dec. 15, 2017. He filed for reinstatement on Feb. 7, demonstrating the disability had been removed. The Tennessee Supreme Court removed the disability status in April but maintained the inactive status until all disciplinary complaints were resolved.

Putnam County lawyer John Philip Parsons was reinstated to the practice of law today. He had been disbarred by the Tennessee Supreme Court on Oct. 13, 2017. Parsons filed a reinstatement petition on March 10 and a formal hearing was held on Sept. 7. The Board of Professional Responsibility (BPR) recommended he be reinstated. The court conditioned reinstatement on Parson’s engagement of a practice monitor who must meet with him once a month for one year to assess his caseload, timeliness of tasks, adequacy of communication with clients and accounting procedures, and provide monthly written reports to the BPR.

The state Supreme Court reinstated the license of Tennessee attorney Rachel K. Tyson effective Oct. 19 after Tyson completed requirements of the BPR.

The Tennessee Supreme Court has suspended 25 attorneys for failure to pay the annual registration fee; 14 of them also failed to file proof that client funds are held in an IOLTA-compliant account. View the fee suspension order and IOLTA suspension order. See the list of all lawyers suspended and reinstated for fee and IOLTA violations in 2023 or access all administrative suspensions dating back to 2005.

The Tennessee Supreme Court reinstated three lawyers this week who had been suspended for failing to complete annual continuing legal education requirements in 2023. View the reinstatement order or see the full list of those suspended and reinstated here.

S. Brad Dozier, an attorney licensed to practice law in Tennessee, received a public censure today from the Board of Professional Responsibility of the Tennessee Supreme Court. Dozier represented a client in probating an estate, and in the reopening of a recently concluded probate proceeding. Dozier delayed in taking proper action in both matters and failed to respond to his client’s communications. In the probate proceeding where Dozier filed a petition to reopen the estate, he additionally failed to seek leave of court to withdraw after being discharged by his client. By these acts, Dozier has violated Rules of Professional Conduct 1.3 (diligence), 1.4 (communication) and 1.16(a) (duties following discharge).

Don Anthony Handley, an attorney licensed to practice law in Tennessee, received a public censure today from the Board of Professional Responsibility of the Tennessee Supreme Court. Handley settled a personal injury case in January 2019. Handley’s support staff assigned to the file inadvertently failed to deposit the settlement check received from the insurance carrier for the at-fault driver, and the error was not identified until July 2022. The error later resulted in an overdraft on Handley’s trust account. Handley’s failure to identify the error evidences a breach of his obligation to create and maintain appropriate trust account management protocols, as well as his duty to appropriately train and supervise his staff. By these acts, Handley has violated Rules of Professional Conduct 1.15 (safekeeping client funds and property) and 5.1 (managerial and supervisory responsibilities).

Christopher P. Westmoreland, an attorney licensed to practice law in Tennessee, received a public censure today from the Board of Professional Responsibility of the Tennessee Supreme Court. Westmoreland was hired to probate two estates for the mother and father of his client. Westmoreland agreed to represent the client on both matters for a 7% contingency fee of the value of the assets in the estates, but his fee was not agreed to in a writing signed by his client. Respondent’s fee was otherwise reasonable and earned in the matters. By these acts, Westmoreland has violated Rule of Professional Conduct 1.5 (fees).

Matthew Hollingshead-Cook, an attorney licensed to practice law in Tennessee, received a public censure today from the Board of Professional Responsibility of the Tennessee Supreme Court. Hollingshead-Cook received settlement funds from a client and deposited them into his trust account. He then took a break from practicing law and did not give the client her settlement funds for more than three years. The funds remained in trust during the interim. In another client matter, Hollingshead-Cook deposited client funds into his trust account which were a distribution from an estate but did not remit the funds to his client for almost two years. By these acts, Matthew Hollingshead-Cook, has violated Rules of Professional Conduct 1.15 (safekeeping funds), 1.3 (diligence), 1.4 (communication), and 1.16 (termination of representation).

Washington County lawyer Brett Nathaniel Mayes received a public censure from the Tennessee Supreme Court Tuesday. The court took the action after finding that Mayes, under the penalty of perjury, falsely stated on two “Statement of Interest” forms from the Tennessee Ethics Commission that he had never filed bankruptcy. He had in fact filed bankruptcy in 2019. Mayes was required to complete the form while serving on a local planning commission. The court determined that his conduct violated Rule of Professional Conduct 8.4(c).