Knoxville lawyer Joseph Brent Nolan was suspended from the practice of law on Nov. 26 for two years, or indefinitely until restitution is completed. The Tennessee Supreme Court directed Nolan to pay restitution to three clients in the total amount of $69,599.54. The court took the action based on Nolan’s failure to supervise a non-lawyer employee, who was given control of his trust account and used funds from that account to pay law office expenses. As a result, a number of client settlements were delayed and some clients never received the funds to which they were entitled. In addition, the court found that Nolan failed to communicate adequately with clients; provide timely, accurate settlement statements; advise a client that he left private practice to become in-house counsel for a corporation; and properly withdraw from a case. While employed as in-house counsel, the court also found that Nolan improperly borrowed money from his employer/client. Download the BPR notice.

Charles Michael Clifford was suspended yesterday (Nov. 25) regarding two complaints. In the first complaint, Clifford failed to pursue his clients’ objectives and misled them as to the status of the case. In the second complaint, Clifford failed to comply with a scheduling order and failed to take appropriate steps to protect his client when he withdrew from the case. View the BPR notice.

John Edward Herbison was suspended today for a period of 18 months based on three complaints of misconduct. Herbison failed to communicate with clients in two cases and failed to file a notice of appeal with the Court of Criminal Appeals and delayed seeking relief from the Court of Criminal Appeals in another. View the BPR notice.

Michael Lee West was disbarred on Nov. 14 and ordered to pay restitution to four former clients. In April, a petition for discipline was filed against West based upon three complaints of misconduct. Subsequent to the filing, the Board of Professional Responsibility received three additional ethical complaints. View the BPR notice.

A number of Tennessee-licensed lawyers were reinstated to the practice of law over the past month after complying with Supreme Court Rule 21, which requires mandatory continuing legal education. See the updated list here.

Venita Marie Martin was temporarily suspended from the practice of law today (Nov. 13) for failing to respond to the Board of Professional Responsibility regarding a complaint of misconduct. View the BPR notice.

On Nov. 13, R. Sandler Bailey was reinstated to the practice. Bailey had been suspended by the Supreme Court of Tennessee on Aug. 18 for a period of 60 days. View the BPR notice.

The Tennessee Supreme Court issued three orders on Nov. 7 suspending Tennessee-licensed attorneys who did not pay their registration fee to the Board of Professional Responsibility and/or did not file a mandatory compliance statement that eligible client funds are held in accounts participating in the Interest on Lawyers’ Trust Accounts (IOLTA) program. Those who have complied with the rules since the orders were issued, and for whom notification of a status change has been received from the Board of Professional Responsibility, are noted as reinstated. See those suspended on Nov. 7 and download the orders.

Clifford Knott McGown Jr. received a public censure on Nov. 1 for failing to file an answer to a third party complaint, failing to file a response to a motion for default judgment, failing to file a motion to set aside the default judgment, and failing to reasonably communicate with his client. During the representation of a second client, McGown failed to file the appropriate pleading or to otherwise pursue his client’s modification of a custody case, and failed to respond to telephone calls. View the BPR notice.

Perry Alan Craft received a public censure on Oct. 29. Craft was censured for several violations involving his firm’s trust account. View the BPR notice.