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.

Davidson County lawyer Sheryl D. Guinn has received a public censure from the Tennessee Supreme Court. The court found that she filed a health care liability lawsuit against a psychiatrist who treated her client at the urging of the client even though she did not believe there was a good faith basis for the suit. Guinn charged her client a $3,000 retainer and filed the suit. The other side was successful in getting the suit dismissed and the court awarded sanctions against Guinn. These actions were determined to violate Rules of Professional Conduct 1.1, 1.5, 3.1 and 8.4(d).

The Tennessee Supreme Court has ruled that attorneys must promptly pay their annual professional privilege tax or face immediate suspension of their law license. Montgomery County attorney Colleen Ann Hyder was suspended in 2020 for non-payment but continued to represent clients in violation of state regulations. The court upheld a public censure against Hyder for this unauthorized practice, rejecting her claim that she had a grace period to wind down her practice following the suspension. Read more from the court about its findings and a press release from the Board of Professional Responsibility about the suspension.

Davidson County lawyer Wendy Sue O’Neill was reinstated to the practice of law on July 15. She had been on inactive status since April 23, 2015. The Board of Professional Responsibility reported that O’Neill’s petition for reinstatement was satisfactory.