Montgomery County lawyer Kevin William Teets Jr. has received a public censure from the Tennessee Supreme Court. The court found that in representing two clients seeking damages from an apartment fire, Teets accepted a retainer but never filed a lawsuit. The same clients then hired Teets to defend them in a detainer matter relating to a different apartment. In that matter, Teets failed to attend multiple court dates, resulting in default judgment and a judgment for damages being entered against the clients. He also failed respond to numerous requests for information from the clients. The court found that his actions violated Rules of Professional Conduct 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.15, 1.16, 3.2, 3.4 and 8.4.

The Tennessee Supreme Court on Oct. 23 suspended 30 attorneys for failure to pay the annual registration fee; 20 of them also failed to file proof that client funds are held in an IOLTA-compliant account. View the fee suspension order and IOLTA suspension order. See the list of all lawyers suspended and reinstated for fee and IOLTA violations in 2024 or access all administrative suspensions dating back to 2005.

The law license of Georgia lawyer Robert Andrew Free has been transferred from disability inactive status to inactive status pending resolution of an outstanding disciplinary complaint. Free filed a petition for reinstatement on Sept. 12. Earlier this month, the Board of Professional Responsibility recommended removal of the disability status and transfer to inactive status. He will remain on inactive status until further order of the court.

Florida lawyer Diane Joyce Geller was reinstated to the practice of law in Tennessee on Oct. 16. She had been placed on inactive status more than five years ago on May 16, 2013. The Board of Professional Responsibility reviewed her petition for reinstatement and determined it was satisfactory. The Tennessee Supreme Court issued the order on Oct. 23.

Shelby County lawyer Larry A. Weissman has received a public censure from the Tennessee Supreme Court. The court found that Weissman was not diligent in checking a client’s case status, which led to him not discovering that the case, which had previously been dismissed, was never reopened. This led to a delay in moving the case forward. Weissman also did not consult with the client about how her case was being handled and did not abide by her decision to set the case for trial. Later in the case, he stopped communicating with the client, stopped doing any work on her case and disregarded the client’s requests that he withdraw. His actions were determined Rules of Professional Conduct 1.2(a), 1.3, 1.4(a), 1.16(a) and 3.2.

Knox County lawyer Kristen Crye Stevenson has received a public censure from the Tennessee Supreme Court. The court found that Stevenson “knowingly and repeatedly” failed to notify her client that the court overseeing the client’s workers’ compensation case had ordered the employer to approve medical treatment while the case was pending. Stevenson also repeatedly failed to appear at court-ordered conferences and hearings and failed to submit required filings. These actions led to her client being assessed sanctions, fines and attorneys’ fees in excess of $16,000. Her actions were determined to violate Rules of Professional Conduct 1.2, 1.3, 1.4(a), 3.2 and 3.4(c).

The Tennessee Supreme Court on Oct. 4 suspended Williamson County lawyer Jason Scott Mangrum from the practice of law for six months, with one month to be served on active suspension and the remainder on probation. The court found that Mangrum failed to adequately communicate with a client, failed to expedite litigation, charged an unreasonable fee, failed to properly withdraw from representation, and disobeyed an obligation under the rules of a tribunal. He agreed to a conditional guilty plea acknowledging his conduct violated Tennessee Rules of Professional Conduct 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.16, 3.2, 3.4, and 8.4 (a) and(d).

Davidson County lawyer John Benneth Iwu received a public censure from the Tennessee Supreme Court on Oct. 7. The court found that Iwu agreed to the setting of a criminal court hearing on a particular date and then failed to attend the hearing. He also failed to advise his client of the date, which led to his client failing to attend the hearing. Iwu agreed to a conditional guilty plea acknowledging that his conduct violated Rules of Professional Conduct 1.4, 3.2, 3.4(c) and 8.4.

The Tennessee Supreme Court on Oct. 7 suspended Knox County lawyer Loring Edwin Justice for one year. The court found that while he was representing a client in a workers’ compensation matter, Justice failed to communicate reasonably with his client and failed to act diligently to provide the legal services for which he was retained. His actions were determined to violate Tennessee Rules of Professional Conduct 1.3 and 1.4.

The Tennessee Supreme Court reinstated Davidson County lawyer Robert Redman Laser III to the practice of law on Oct. 7. He had been temporarily suspended on Nov. 1, 2023, for failing to respond to the Board of Professional Responsibility concerning a complaint of misconduct. On Sept. 25, Laser filed a motion demonstrating he had responded to the complaint and complied with conditions imposed by the suspension.