Knox County lawyer Chadwick Barry Tindell received a public censure from the Board of Professional Responsibility on June 28 after he pleaded guilty to facilitation of official misconduct. The conviction was based on his involvement in a plan by the Knox County Trustee to give employees bonuses for training and certification that they did not complete. Download the BPR notice.

Williamson County lawyer Thomas Holland McKinnie Jr. was suspended by the Tennessee Supreme Court on June 28 for two years. McKinnie submitted a conditional guilty plea that he violated Rules of Professional Conduct by (1) knowingly writing himself a check from his trust account that created an overdraft, (2) failing to account for a portion of the money he paid himself, and (3) not adequately responding to requests from the Board of Professional Responsibility. Download the BPR notice.

Humphreys County lawyer James Phillips Bradley was suspended on June 25 for allegedly signing his client’s name to a petition in a child-endangerment matter and notarizing the signature as that of the client. Thereafter, he filed the petition with the trial court and obtained an ex parte custody order. The trial court dismissed the petition upon learning that Bradley had signed the client’s name. In addition to suspension, Bradley must attend an ethics workshop and pay the board’s costs, expenses and court costs. Download the BPR notice.

The Supreme Court of Tennessee issued an order temporarily suspending Memphis lawyer Christopher Lee Brown on June 21 after finding he had misappropriated funds for his own use and determined that his continued practice of law poses a threat of substantial harm to the public. The suspension remains in effect until dissolution or modification by the Supreme Court. Download the BPR notice.

The Tennessee Supreme Court on Friday suspended 11 attorneys who did not pay their annual registration fee to the Board of Professional Responsibility and 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. Download the order and get the latest information.

Memphis attorney Karen Wilson Tyler was suspended June 19 for one year, retroactive to April 5, when she was temporarily suspended for failure to respond to a complaint. In September 2012, the board filed a petition for discipline alleging that Tyler failed to competently and diligently handle the administration of an estate, for making a statement against the integrity of a chancellor, and upon her failure to properly respond to a request for information from the board. Download the BPR notice.

The law license of Robert David Strickland was transferred to disability inactive status. He may return to the practice of law 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 Tennessee Supreme Court issued an order June 12 suspending 95 lawyers who have assumed inactive status but have not paid the required annual inactive status fee to the Board of Professional Responsibility. In January 2012, the court adopted amendments to Rule 9, Sections 20.1, 20.2 and 20.8, which included the new fee requirement. The fee is due on or before the first day of the attorney’s birth month each year. The order issued this month, as well as one issued on April 12, reflects an effort by the Board of Professional Responsibility (BPR) to catch up on suspensions going back to 2012. Beginning soon, the BPR will issue suspension orders monthly. See the list of those suspended or download the new order on the TBA website.

By order of the Tennessee Supreme Court entered June 10, the law license of Cindy Lynn Burgess of Napa, Calif., was transferred to disability inactive status. Burgess may not practice law while on inactive status. She may return to the practice of law after showing by clear and convincing evidence that the disability has been removed and she is fit to resume the practice of law. Read the BPR notice.

The Tennessee Supreme Court summarily and temporarily suspended Gibson County lawyer Gregory Wayne Minton from the practice of law on June 14 after determining that he failed to respond to the Board of Professional Responsibility regarding a complaint of misconduct. The suspension remains in effect until dissolution or modification by the court. Download the BPR notice.