The Tennessee Supreme Court today disbarred Shelby County lawyer Christopher Lee Brown from the practice of law and ordered he make restitution as a condition of reinstatement. The order is effective today. Brown was previously suspended in 2013 and disbarred in 2015. He has not been reinstated from the suspension or disbarment. Read the BPR release.

The Tennessee Supreme Court today suspended the law license of Rhea County lawyer John Arnold Fitzgerald for four years, retroactive to Sept. 10, 2014. Fitzgerald entered a conditional guilty plea to the Board of Professional Responsibility’s Hearing Panel on Feb. 22. The Court accepted the panel’s recommendation and issued an Order of Enforcement that lays out the terms of the suspension. Read the BPR release. 

Knox County lawyer William James Taylor was publicly censured March 24 by the Board of Professional Responsibility of the Tennessee Supreme Court. The court took the action due to Taylor’s actions in two separate matters. In the first matter, Taylor failed to respond to a motion for summary judgment and failed to timely file an appeal. He later stated in a motion to withdraw the appeal that he had advised the client the appeal would be a “waste of time.” In a separate matter, Taylor failed to respond to a client and communicate with opposing counsel regarding a settlement in a personal injury matter. Read the BPR release.

The Tennessee Supreme Court yesterday temporarily suspended Blount County lawyer Charles Michael Clifford from the practice of law after Clifford failed to respond to the Board regarding a complaint of misconduct. Clifford is immediately precluded from accepting any new cases, and he must cease representing existing clients by April 8. Read the BPR release.

Nashville attorney James D. R. Roberts Jr. was suspended today from the practice of law for six months by the Tennessee Supreme Court. The court took the action after Roberts gave false testimony while testifying before the Davidson County Chancery Court regarding his representation of a client in a declaratory judgment action involving a family company and his attempts to stop the sale of company stock. Roberts eventually appealed the 2009 discipline to the state Supreme Court, but the appeal was dismissed as untimely. The suspension begins March 18. Read the BPR release. 

The Tennessee Supreme Court today temporarily suspended Shelby County lawyer Keith Lamonte Dobbs from the practice of law upon finding Dobbs misappropriated funds and represents a threat of substantial harm to the public. Dobbs is immediately precluded from accepting any new cases, and he must cease representing existing clients after March 30. He is also required to notify all clients being represented in pending matters, as well as co-counsel and opposing counsel of the temporary suspension. Read the BPR release.

The Tennessee Supreme Court today removed the disability inactive status of Davidson County lawyer Ashley Denise Preston. However, the Court noted that Preston’s license to practice law will not be returned to active status until the resolution of any disciplinary proceedings pending before the Board of Professional Responsibility. She must also satisfy any outstanding continuing legal education obligations. Read the BPR release.

The Tennessee Supreme Court on Tuesday temporarily suspended Davidson County lawyer John Martin Drake from the practice of law after he failed to respond to the Board regarding a complaint of misconduct. Drake is immediately precluded from accepting any new case and must cease representing existing clients by today. The suspension is immediate and remains in effect until dissolution or modification by the Supreme Court. Read the BPR release.

The Tennessee Supreme Court yesterday (Feb. 11) temporarily suspended Shelby County lawyer Michael C. Skouteris from the practice of law upon finding he misappropriated funds and poses a threat of substantial harm to the public. Skouteris is immediately precluded from accepting any new cases, and he must cease representing existing clients by March 13. This suspension is immediate and remains in effect until dissolution or modification by the Supreme Court. Read the BPR release.

The Tennessee Supreme Court yesterday temporarily suspended Davidson County lawyer Quenton I. White from the practice of law. The court took the action after finding White, a former State Correction Commissioner and U.S. Attorney for Middle Tennessee, misappropriated funds and poses a threat of substantial harm to the public. White is immediately precluded from accepting any new cases and must cease representing clients by March 11. He was publicly censured by the court in 2013 for practicing law while his license was administratively suspended for IOLTA noncompliance and failure to pay the annual registration. Read the BPR release.