Barry Keith Maxwell was publicly censured and ordered to pay restitution to his client after the Board of Professional responsibility found he did not promptly refund an advance payment of fees when it became clear that the work for which he had been retained was unnecessary. The BPR notice has more.

Brandon Michael Booten was temporarily suspended from the practice of law upon finding that he failed to respond to the Board of Professional Responsibility regarding a complaint of misconduct. Download the BPR notice.

John Minor Richardson was publicly censured on Nov. 1 for failing to adequately supervise a non-lawyer employee. The employee did not follow internal accounting procedures, resulting in a monetary loss to his client. When Richardson discovered the problem, he terminated the employee and conducted an extensive internal audit of his accounts. He also repaid the client for the loss. Download the BPR notice.

The law license of Nashville lawyer Jean Norris Crowe was transferred to disability inactive status on Oct. 28 by the Tennessee Supreme Court. Crowe cannot practice law while on disability inactive status and may return to the practice of law after reinstatement by the court upon showing of clear and convincing evidence that the disability has been removed and she is fit to resume. Download the BPR notice.

The Tennessee Supreme Court disbarred Campbell County lawyer Johnny Von Dunaway on Oct. 28. The court reports that Dunaway consented to disbarment because he could not successfully defend himself against charges that he filed a false statement with the Internal Revenue Service for the 2008 tax year -- a violation of 26 U.S.C. Sec. 7206(1). Download the BPR notice.

A number of Tennessee-licensed lawyers have been reinstated after being administratively suspended for failure to meet CLE requirements in 2008, 2011 and 2012; failure to submit the 2012 and 2013 annual BPR fee and/or IOLTA report; and failure to pay the professional privilege tax. They are now noted as reinstated. See the updated lists at the links above.

Dana L. Nero of Nashville was suspended from the practice of law for three years, with 11 months and 29 days as an active suspension retroactive to June 11, 2012, and the remainder probated. A petition for discipline was filed last April alleging Nero advised a witness that they did not have to appear in court even though she had been subpoenaed, that she failed to communicate with a client and provide him with his file following his conviction, and that she accepted a fee for which she did not perform any service. Download the BPR notice.

Samuel Jones was publicly censured on Oct. 16 for failing to adequately communicate with a client during his representation in a divorce proceeding. Jones also failed to diligently represent the client, which led to the court’s dismissal of the client’s case on two separate occasions for lack of prosecution. Download the BPR notice.

Michael Lloyd Freeman received a public censure for keeping his own money in his client trust account and using those funds to pay his office rent. Freeman also failed to maintain reasonable communication with a client and then failed to provide subsequent counsel with the client’s file. Finally, Freeman neglected a different client’s case by failing to act with reasonable diligence and failing to communicate with the client. Download the BPR notice.

Thomas Harding Potter received a public censure for disclosing confidential, prejudicial information about his client in a motion to withdraw. Download the BPR notice.