Georgia attorney John Michael Giglio, licensed to practice law in Tennessee, received a public censure from the Board of Professional Responsibility for informing his client in an estate matter that he would charge a 15 percent contingency fee, but did not provide a written contract documenting the terms of the fee agreement. The client contested the reasonableness of Giglio’s $70,000 attorney fee and a probate court clerk and master found the reasonable fee to be $20,000. Giglio was ordered to refund $50,000 plus the cost of the fee proceeding. Download the BPR notice.

The Tennessee Supreme Court today suspended the law license of David J. Johnson based on his conviction for wire fraud. Johnson was ordered to fully comply with the provisions of Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 9, section 18, which requires, in part, withdrawal from representation and prohibits undertaking any new representation. Download the BPR notice.

The Tennessee Supreme Court on Feb. 4 suspended Memphis lawyer Michael R. Tucker for five years and ordered him to pay restitution in the amount of $66,667.67 and pay the board's expenses within 90 days. The court found that Tucker failed to disburse settlement funds to a client, converted funds for his personal use, made misrepresentations to the client about repayment of the money, and failed to communicate with the client in a reasonable manner. Tucker entered a conditional guilty plea admitting to the misconduct. Download the BPR notice

On Jan. 24, Paul Forrest Craig received a public censure from the Board of Professional Responsibility for practicing law in Mississippi without a license. Download the BPR notice.

Angela Joy Hopson of Jackson was suspended from the practice of law on Jan. 30 for one year; however, the entire suspension is probated subject to certain conditions. Hopson must engage a practice monitor for the period of her probation, comply with the Tennessee Lawyers Assistance Programs and pay the Board of Professional Responsibility’s costs and expenses within 90 days. In the first complaint, Hopson failed to properly communicate with her client. In the second, she was found in contempt for her failure to file a timely brief and to follow the prior orders of the court regarding the filing of a status report. Download the BPR notice.

Knoxville lawyer Vanessa Lynn Lemons was suspended on Jan. 25 for four years, and indefinitely thereafter until she provides proof of restitution to former clients, evaluation by the Tennessee Lawyers Assistance Program (TLAP) and compliance with any TLAP monitoring agreement. The Tennessee Supreme Court found that Lemons failed to communicate with five clients, neglected their legal matters and failed to properly terminate representation. In those cases where she accepted a fee and failed to perform services, the court also found she refused to refund the client’s retainer. Finally, when confronted with these allegations, Lemons failed to respond to the Board of Professional Responsibility. Download the BPR Report

Johnny Von Dunaway of LaFollette was censured by the Tennessee Supreme Court on Jan. 25 for charging and receiving a contingent fee for handling an appeal of a domestic relations case. Von Dunaway submitted a conditional guilty plea acknowledging a violation of Tennessee Rules of Professional Conduct 1.5(c) and (d), which prohibits certain contingency fees in domestic relations cases. Download the BPR notice

Fourteen Tennessee-licensed lawyers have been reinstated after being administratively suspended for CLE noncompliance in 2011 and 2012, failure to file the 2012 annual fee and IOLTA report, and failure to pay the 2012 professional tax. See the lists at the links above.

On Jan. 17, Sumner County lawyer William Norman Ligon received a public censure from the Board of Professional Responsibility for providing legal advice to a client while his law license was suspended. The board found that the client suffered potential harm by relying on Ligon’s advice and not seeking representation by a licensed attorney. Download the BPR notice.

Cleveland attorney John Allen Murphy Jr. was publicly censured on Jan. 22 by the Tennessee Supreme Court. Murphy was administratively suspended in June 2011 for failing to comply with the mandatory IOLTA reporting requirements but filed pleadings on behalf of several clients during the suspension. He was reinstated to the practice of law in July 2011. Download the BPR notice.