Jimmy Vallejo Delgado, an attorney licensed to practice law in Tennessee and Texas, was disbarred by the Tennessee Supreme Court and ordered to make restitution in the amount of $96,826 to former clients. On June 1, 2012, the Board of Professional Responsibility filed a petition for discipline against Delgado based on his representation of clients in a Georgia wrongful death case. A hearing panel found Delgado never informed his clients that he was not licensed to practice law in Georgia. The court also found that he never met with his clients personally, settled the case without his clients’ knowledge or consent, and failed to promptly remit settlement funds to his clients. Download the BPR notice.

The Tennessee Supreme Court today issued an order summarily and temporarily suspending former Nashville lawyer Robin Kathleen Barry from the practice of law after finding that she failed to respond to the Board of Professional Responsibility regarding a complaint of misconduct. Download the BPR notice.

Memphis lawyer Timothy Darnell Flowers was suspended on Aug. 1 for three years, retroactive to June 27, 2010. He also was ordered to pay restitution to former clients. The Tennessee Supreme Court found that Flowers, who already was on suspension from orders entered in 2010 and 2011, committed ethical misconduct while representing clients from 2005 to 2009. Specific violations included failing to (1) advise a client of a court date, (2) file a brief in support of a client’s appeal, (3) advise a client of a change of venue and (4) introduce proof regarding relocation in an asylum matter. In each of these situations, his actions resulted in the dismissal of cases or negative action being taken against the clients. Download the BPR notice.

By order of the Tennessee Supreme Court, the law licenses of Davidson County lawyers C. Kinian Cosner Jr. and Christopher Joseph Larkin and McMinn County lawyer Paul Leland Smith were transferred to disability inactive status. The three may not practice law while on inactive status. They may return to the practice of law after showing by clear and convincing evidence that the disability has been removed and they are fit to resume the practice of law. Download the BPR notices for each at the links above.

Davidson County lawyer Scott David Johannessen received a public censure from the Board of Professional Responsibility on July 29 for practicing law while on administrative suspension. On Nov. 29, 2012, Johannessen was suspended for failure to pay his professional privilege tax for two or more years. Though his license was reinstated on Dec. 19, 2012, the board found that he engaged in the unauthorized practice of law during the suspension period. His actions violated Rule of Professional Conduct 5.5. Download the BPR notice.

Tennessee Senior Judge Paul A. Summers last week dismissed a decision by the Board of Professional Responsibility to impose a 60-day suspension on Memphis lawyer Sadler Bailey, The Commercial Appeal reports. The suspension had been imposed for "disrespect and sarcasm" before Circuit Court Judge Karen Williams during a medical malpractice trial in 2008. Calling the suspension “arbitrary or capricious and characterized by abuse of discretion,” Summers instead ordered Bailey to be publicly reprimanded. Summers based his decision in part on the fact that the comments in question were not witnessed by a jury or members of the public thus not harming the judicial system.

The law license of Bryan Bradley Martin yesterday was transferred to disability inactive status. Martin cannot practice law while on disability inactive status and may return after reinstatement by the Tennessee Supreme Court upon showing of clear and convincing evidence that the disability has been removed and he is fit to resume the practice of law. Download the BPR notice.

The law license of Barbara S. Freemon of Nashville was suspended by the Tennessee Supreme Court for one year. A petition for discipline was filed against Freemon on March 8, based upon two complaints. The first complaint alleged that Freemon, who agreed to serve as trustee for an inter vivos trust set up to manage her brother’s assets, did not return the trust assets to the named beneficiaries upon his death. The second complaint alleged that Freemon accepted a non-refundable fee to represent clients in a codes dispute, promising to file an action within 45 days. Freeman failed to file any action on their behalf yet refused to refund the full fee to the clients. Download the BPR notice.

A dozen Tennessee-licensed lawyers have been reinstated after being administratively suspended for failure to meet 2012 CLE requirements, failure to submit the 2013 BPR fee and/or IOLTA report, or failure to submit the 2012 BPR fee and/or IOLTA report. See the updated lists at the links above.

Knox County lawyer Vanessa Lynn Lemons received a public censure for not appearing for court hearings or communicating with her client whom she was appointed to defend in several criminal cases. Lemons was removed from the case. She has failed to respond to this complaint of misconduct, but is currently serving a four year suspension pursuant to Supreme Court Order filed Jan. 25. Download the BPR notice.