Sumner County lawyer Joseph Timothy Zanger has received a public censure from the Tennessee Supreme Court. The court found that Zanger made several procedural errors in handling an adoption case for one client and failed to obtain entry of a qualified domestic relations order for over three years for another client. These actions were determined to violate Rule of Professional Conduct 1.1, 1.3, 1.4, 1.16 and 3.2.

Davidson County attorney Marvin Don Himmelberg has received a public censure from the Tennessee Supreme Court. In defending a juvenile client against criminal charges, the court found that Himmelberg failed to appear for the client’s arraignment hearing, jeopardizing the client’s plea deal, and failed to refund any part of the client’s fee. These actions were determined to violate Rules of Professional Conduct 1.3, 1.4 and 1.5.

The law license of Knox County lawyer Keith Allen Pope has been transferred to disability inactive status. Pope may not practice law while on inactive status but may petition the Tennessee Supreme Court for reinstatement by showing by clear and convincing evidence that the disability has been removed and he is fit to resume the practice of law.

Shelby County lawyer Kathryn Nan Maceri has received a public censure from the Tennessee Supreme Court. The court found that Maceri violated Rules of Professional Conduct 1.3, 1.4 and 5.3 when she failed to communicate with a client, provide competent and diligent representation, and breached her responsibilities regarding nonlawyer assistants when her legal assistant provided the client with an altered work permit. As a result, the work permit was unusable, and the client had to hire a new attorney to complete the task.

Georgia lawyer Lauren Catherine Foster was reinstated to the practice of law in Tennessee effective June 25. Foster had been on inactive status since May 10, 2016. The Board of Professional Responsibility reported that it found the petition for reinstatement to be satisfactory. The Tennessee Supreme Court issued the order on July 10.

Overton County lawyer Jonathan Lee Young has received a public censure from the Tennessee Supreme Court. Young represented a client in an emergency conservatorship petition. During the representation, Young signed another attorney’s name, “with permission,” to an order without authorization from said attorney and then presented said order to the presiding judge ex parte and obtained the judge’s signature. The order named an attorney ad litem to the conservatorship case, and Young, after obtaining the judge’s signature, failed to then file the pleading with the clerk of the court and failed to advise the guardian ad litem or the newly appointed attorney ad litem of the court order. In the same case, Young also filed pleadings with incomplete information and multiple documents with improper notarizations. Young executed a conditional guilty plea acknowledging that his conduct violated Tennessee Rules of Professional Conduct 1.3, 3.3(a) and 3.5(b).

The Tennessee Supreme Court, in an order issued yesterday, directed the Board of Professional Responsibility to respond to a filing from Hamilton County lawyer Shaheen Iltaf Imami that reciprocal discipline should not be imposed, after the state of Michigan imposed a public reprimand with conditions on April 24. On June 7, Imami filed a response with the court relying on Tenn. Sup. Ct. R. 9, § 25.4 to argue that identical discipline should not be imposed in Tennessee. The board is directed to file its response to that argument no later than Aug. 1.

Knox County lawyer Gary Lee Anderson has been suspended from the practice of law for five years, followed by a period of indefinite suspension until $1,370 in restitution is paid to a former client. The court also directed Anderson to meet all CLE requirements, pay all costs incurred in the disciplinary matter within 90 days, and remit all outstanding registration fees and professional privilege taxes. The court took the action after finding that Anderson failed to communicate with clients, act in a diligent manner, expedite clients’ litigation, obtain informed consent from a client, respond to requests for information from disciplinary counsel, delineate and/or specify limits on the scope of representation, and take reasonable steps to protect clients’ interest after terminating representation. He also was found to have charged an unreasonable fee and a non-refundable fee without the client’s written agreement, and accepted client referrals from a non-registered intermediary organization. These actions violated Tennessee Rules of Professional Conduct 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.8, 8.1(b) and 8.4 (a), (c), and (d).

Hamilton County lawyer Jennifer Yates Stickley was reinstated to the practice of law on June 28 after being on inactive status for more than five years. She was placed on inactive status on Jan. 31, 2006. The Board of Professional Responsibility determined that Stickley had satisfied all outstanding obligations to the Tennessee Continuing Legal Education Commission and her reinstatement petition was satisfactory.

Washington, D.C., lawyer Johnnie Daniel Bond Jr. has received a public censure from the Tennessee Supreme Court. The court found that while he was administratively suspended for failure to pay his annual fee and report on IOLTA funds, Bond was engaged in the active practice of law, including filing pleadings, appearing in court and entering agreed orders. During the suspension, Bond also advertised that he had law offices in Memphis and Nashville. These actions were determined to violate Rules of Professional Conduct 5.5 and 7.1.