Georgia lawyer James A. Dunlap Jr. filed a petition for reinstatement in Tennessee on Feb. 26, 2021. He had been suspended from practicing in the state for one year on Feb. 7, 2020. A Board of Professional Responsibility hearing panel reviewed the petition and found that Dunlap “failed to meet his burden to show by clear and convincing evidence he was fit to practice law in Tennessee.” The panel recommended dismissing the petition, which the Tennessee Supreme Court did yesterday. The court also directed Dunlap to pay all costs and expenses of the proceeding within 90 days.

Florida lawyer Rebecca Elizabeth Reeder and Georgia lawyer John Trent Dixon were reinstated to the practice of law yesterday after having been on inactive status for more than five years. Reeder was reinstated effective Dec. 29, 2021. Dixon was reinstated effective Dec. 22, 2021.

Davidson County lawyer Corletra Faye Mance received a censure yesterday from the Tennessee Supreme Court. The court found that Mance practiced law while her license was administratively suspended. Mance argued that she did not receive a copy of the suspension order, but the court said that she had received prior notice of a deficiency with her continuing legal education hours. Her actions were found to violate Rule of Professional Conduct 5.5.

Williamson County lawyer John William Gautier was today placed on disability inactive status by the Tennessee Supreme Court. Gautier cannot practice law while on disability inactive status. He may return to the practice of law after reinstatement by the Tennessee Supreme Court upon showing that his disability has been removed.

The Board of Professional Responsibility of the Tennessee Supreme Court today censured Shelby County lawyer Christopher Lynn Taylor. While awaiting summary judgement, Taylor’s client in the matter filed a pro se motion to “disqualify” Taylor. Taylor sent a closing letter and provided the client with a copy of her file, but failed to withdraw from the pending court matter. He then failed to inform his client of the decision on summary judgment and failed to represent her on a motion for costs filed by the defendant, including at several court hearings on the motion for costs.

Knox County lawyer Mark Steven Graham was publicly censured today by the Tennessee Supreme Court. The court found that he filed a trademark application when he was suspended from the practice of law in Tennessee and not licensed to practice law in any other state. His actions were determined to violate Rules of Professional Conduct 5.5 and 8.4(g). A censure is a rebuke and warning, but it does not affect an attorney’s ability to practice law.

The Board of Professional Responsibility today issued a public censure to McNairy County lawyer Brian Jackson Petty for creating a conflict of interest by sending text messages that were sexual in nature to his client, who he had been appointed to represent in juvenile court. The board found there was a significant risk that Petty’s personal interests materially limited his representation of his client. 

Tennessee attorney Travis Nathaniel Meeks today received a public censure from the Board of Professional Responsibility of the Tennessee Supreme Court. After agreeing to represent two clients pursuing a detainer action, Meeks agreed to represent one of the two clients in a second matter in which the other client’s interests were materially adverse. He did not obtain an informed conflict waiver from either client and failed to maintain reasonable communication with one of the clients. A censure is a rebuke and warning to the attorney, but does not affect their ability to practice law.

The Tennessee Supreme Court reinstated Knox County lawyer Mark Steven Graham to the practice of law effective immediately today. Graham had been suspended for three years, retroactive to the date of a temporary suspension imposed on March 11, 2020. For that suspension he had to serve one active year and the rest on probation. Graham recently filed a petition seeking reinstatement and a hearing panel of the Board of Professional Responsibility found that Graham had complied with the conditions of his suspension. As conditions of his reinstatement, Graham must engage a practice monitor for the remainder of his probation and remain in substantial compliance with Tennessee Lawyers Assistance Program (TLAP) contract.

Davidson County lawyer Michael Lloyd Freeman was censured by the Tennessee Supreme Court today. The court found that Freeman failed to reasonably respond to his client’s request for information about the status of his criminal case and failed to diligently represent his client over a period of approximately two years. Freeman signed a conditional guilty plea admitting his conduct violated Rules of Professional Conduct 1.3 and 1.4.