The Tennessee Supreme Court last week suspended 26 attorneys for failure to pay the annual registration fee; nine of them also failed to file proof that client funds are held in an IOLTA-compliant account. View the October fee suspension order and October IOLTA suspension order. One lawyer has since been reinstated. See the list of all lawyers suspended and reinstated for fee and IOLTA violations in 2022 or access all administrative suspensions dating back to 2005.

Johnnie Louis Johnson III, now a resident of Kingsland, Georgia, was today disbarred by the Tennessee Supreme Court by Order of Reciprocal Discipline. Johnson was disbarred by the District of Columbia Court of Appeals. The Tennessee Supreme Court entered a Notice of Reciprocal Discipline in September, giving Johnson 30 days to demonstrate to the court why he should not be disbarred in Tennessee. Johnson failed to respond to the directive. He must pay the court’s costs and expenses within 90 days.

Roane County lawyer Christopher Shawn Roberts today received a public censure from the Tennessee Supreme Court’s Board of Professional Responsibility (BPR). Roberts failed to take proper action and failed to expedite litigation concerning the foreclosure of a client’s home. Additionally, Roberts did not respond or communicate to inquiries from his client concerning the foreclosure, failed to keep his clients updated on the status of their bankruptcy proceeding, effectively abandoned the representation and failed to withdraw from the representation.

Knox County lawyer Daniel Forrest Wilkins was reinstated to the practice of law yesterday. On Sept. 15, Wilkins was temporarily suspended for failure to respond to the Board of Professional Responsibility. On Oct. 3, Wilkins provided a response that the board deemed sufficient for dissolution of the suspension.

Davidson County lawyer Charles Martin Duke received a public censure yesterday from the Tennessee Supreme Court. The court found that Duke violated Rules of Professional Conduct 1.3 and 1.4. While representing a client in probating an estate, a guardianship was created, which required that realty within the estate be sold and the proceeds deposited with the court. Through an inadvertent error, the proceeds were deposited into a bank account opened and maintained by the client. After becoming aware of the error, Duke failed to take proper action to facilitate the transfer of the funds to the court or to amend the guardianship. The court also found that Duke failed to maintain good communication with his client during the representation.

Davidson County lawyer Dana L. Nero was suspended from the practice of law today. The Tennessee Supreme Court took the action after finding that Nero failed to respond to the Board of Professional Responsibility concerning a complaint of misconduct.

Davidson County lawyer Isaiah Skip Gant was censured by the Tennessee Supreme Court today. The court took the action based on Gant’s representation of a criminal defendant. Following the client’s conviction, Gant told lawyers representing another defendant charged with related crimes that their client was innocent. According to the court, this implied that Gant’s client was not innocent. Gant also had an ex parte meeting with the presiding judge and told the judge he believed the other defendant was innocent — all while a motion for new trial was pending for his client. The court found that Gant did not have his client’s permission to reveal this information, did not tell his client of the conversations and continued to represent the client. Finally, the court found that Gant did not report possible misconduct of another attorney to the Board of Professional Responsibility. His actions violated Rules of Professional Conduct 1.4, 1.6, 1.7, 3.5, 8.3 and 8.4.

The Tennessee Supreme Court today issued an order reinstating North Carolina lawyer Carlin Victoria Peterson to the practice of law in Tennessee. Peterson had been on inactive status since May 8, 2015. Peterson petitioned the court for reinstatement and the Board of Professional Responsibility reported that it found the petition satisfactory. The court made the reinstatement effective as of Sept. 15.

The Tennessee Supreme Court temporarily suspended Hamilton County lawyer John Scott Wesson from the practice of law today after finding he was not in compliance with his Tennessee Lawyers Assistance Program (TLAP) monitoring agreement. Section 12.3 of Supreme Court Rule 9 provides for immediate summary suspension when an attorney fails to substantially comply with their monitoring agreement. Wesson is immediately precluded from accepting new cases and must cease representing existing clients by Oct. 30. The court also issued an order allowing the Board of Professional Responsibility to file under seal an attachment to the affidavit of TLAP Executive Director J.E. “Buddy” Stockwell III because the document contains sensitive health care information.

Colorado lawyer Robert Carroll Byrd Jr. reinstated was reinstated to the practice of law in Tennessee on Aug. 31 after being on inactive status more than five years. Byrd took inactive status on Jan. 29, 2013. He petitioned the Tennessee Supreme Court for reinstatement and the Board of Professional Responsibility said it found the petition satisfactory. The court issued the order yesterday.