The Tennessee Supreme Court has dismissed a petition for reinstatement from Shelia L. Robinson-Beasley. The Shelby County lawyer was temporarily suspended on April 4 for misappropriating funds for her personal use and posing a threat of substantial harm to the public. On May 7, Robinson-Beasley filed a petition for reinstatement/dissolution and/or amendment of temporary suspension. A three-member panel of the Board of Professional Responsibility recommended that the petition be denied. The court agreed, keeping the temporary suspension in place until final disposition of the pending disciplinary complaint.

The law license of Marion County lawyer Howard Graham Swafford Jr. has been transferred to disability inactive status. Swafford may not practice law while on inactive status but may petition the Tennessee Supreme Court for reinstatement by showing by clear and convincing evidence that the disability has been removed and he is fit to resume the practice of law.

The Tennessee Supreme Court has issued a public censure with conditions for Chattanooga attorney Shaheen Iltaf Imami. On April 10, the state of Michigan imposed a public reprimand on Imami conditioned on successful completion of two practice management trainings. Michigan found that Imami failed to preserve complete records of account funds for a period of five years; failed to promptly deliver funds owed to his client or third party; failed to promptly render a full accounting; failed to hold property of clients or third parties separate from his own funds; failed to deposit all client or third party funds in an appropriate IOLTA or non-IOLTA account, and/or failed to appropriately safeguard other property; engaged in conduct prejudicial to the administration of justice; and engaged in conduct exposing the legal profession to obloquy, contempt, censure or reproach in violation of Michigan Rules of Professional Conduct 1.15(b)(2) and (3), 1.15 (d) and 8.4(c). and Michigan Court Rules 9.104(1) and (2). On May 8, the Tennessee Supreme Court directed Imami to respond why the discipline imposed in Michigan should not also be imposed in Tennessee. The court reports that Imami did not respond.

The Tennessee Supreme Court today directed California lawyer Bradley Roy Peacock to fulfill outstanding obligations to the Tennessee Commission on Continuing Legal Education and the Tennessee Department of Revenue by Sept. 16 or face dismissal of his petition for reinstatement. Peacock filed the petition on July 11.

The Tennessee Supreme Court on July 29 dismissed a reinstatement petition that had been filed by Mississippi lawyer Andrew Jackson Clark. On June 10, the court noted that Clark had outstanding obligations with the Tennessee Commission on Continuing Legal Education. The court dismissed the petition after Clark failed to satisfy those obligations by the deadline of July 25.

The Tennessee Supreme Court on July 23 approved a motion from the Board of Professional Responsibility to file a petition for temporary suspension and transfer to disability inactive status under seal in the case of Greene County attorney Francis Xavier Santore Jr. The court also found that Santore should be given an opportunity to file a response to the board’s petitions.

The Tennessee Supreme Court on July 25 referred the case of Madison County lawyer Reagan Nicole Brock (formerly Reagan Brock Wallace) to the Board of Professional Responsibility (BPR). The court took the action after Brock pled guilty to one count of reckless endangerment with a deadly weapon in violation of Tenn. Code. Ann. § 39-13-103(b)(2). Brock received judicial diversion. The court also approved a motion from the BPR to file documents in the case under seal.

The Tennessee Supreme Court has temporarily suspended Maury County lawyer Amanda Howell Castillo from the practice of law for failing to respond to the Board of Professional Responsibility concerning a complaint of misconduct. Castillo is immediately precluded from accepting any new cases, and must cease representing existing clients by Aug. 25. She must comply with the requirements of Rule 9, Sections 28 and 12.3(d), regarding the obligations and responsibilities of temporarily suspended attorneys.

Virginia lawyer Justin Grey Woodward has been censured by the Tennessee Supreme Court. The court found that while representing a client in a contract dispute, Woodward failed to take prompt action after filing a lawsuit, resulting in a significant delay in the proceedings. He also failed to keep his client updated regarding the status of the proceedings or respond to his client’s requests for information. These actions were determined to violate Rules of Professional Conduct 1.3, 1.4, 1.16(a) and 3.2.

Wilson County lawyer Lindsey Leigh Lawrence has received a public censure from the Tennessee Supreme Court. The court found that in the representation of clients in a civil proceeding, Lawrence failed to file a reply to a counterclaim in compliance with applicable rules, failed to respond to written discovery (resulting in dismissal of her clients’ claims) and failed to keep clients advised of case status. In another case, Lawrence failed to pay an adult ward’s ongoing expenses, resulting in her removal as conservator by the court. Her actions were determined to violate Rule of Professional Conduct 1.3, 1.4 and 3.2.