The Tennessee Supreme Court suspended 26 attorneys on Friday for failure to pay the annual registration fee. Ten of those also failed to file proof that client funds were held in an IOLTA-compliant account. View the fee suspension order or the IOLTA suspension order. See the list of all lawyers suspended for fee and IOLTA violations in 2021 or access all administrative suspensions dating back to 2005.

A jury trial for disbarred Hendersonville attorney Andy Allman began in Sumner County Criminal Court this week, the Hendersonville Standard reports. Allman was suspended by the Tennessee Supreme Court in 2016 and ultimately disbarred in 2018 after close to 200 complaints were filed against him. Following an investigation by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigations, a Sumner County grand jury indicted Allman on 28 charges in 2017. A separate grand jury indicted him on 11 more charges later that year. He is charged with several counts of theft for allegedly stealing money clients gave him to hold in trust and impersonating a licensed professional for practicing law while suspended. Allman’s trial has been delayed several times for a variety of reasons including COVID-19 and the withdrawal of at least two of his attorneys.

The Tennessee Supreme Court today suspended Shelby County lawyer James Foster Schaeffer Jr. from the practice of law for one year, with 30 days served as active suspension and the remainder on probation subject to Schaeffer making restitution to his former client. The Board of Professional Responsibility (BPR) found that Schaeffer did not adequately communicate with his client regarding her contested divorce and the case was ultimately dismissed for failure to prosecute. In a second complaint, the BPR found that Schaeffer was not diligent in providing his client in a criminal case with a copy of the state’s discovery. Schaeffer must comply with requirements regarding the obligations and responsibilities of suspended attorneys and the procedure for reinstatement.

The Tennessee Supreme Court on Monday denied a motion from Davidson County attorney Kevin Williams Teets Jr. asking the court to set aside an Oct. 31 order suspending him from the practice of law for one year. The court took the action after the Board of Professional Responsibility recommended denial of the motion.

Davidson County lawyer David Dwayne Harris was temporarily suspended from the practice of law yesterday. The Tennessee Supreme Court took the action after finding that Harris failed to respond to the Board of Professional Responsibility regarding a complaint. The suspension will remain in effect until dissolution or modification by the court.

Blount County lawyer Charles Alphonso Carpenter was permanently disbarred from the practice of law on Friday. The Tennessee Supreme Court reports that Carpenter consented to disbarment because he could not successfully defend charges filed against him. The court found that Carpenter failed to communicate with clients, file proper pleadings, correct errors in documents submitted and inform clients of his errors. He also received fees but performed no work. In another matter, Carpenter signed the name of his client to an emergency petition and then notarized, with his own notary seal, the signature. He also failed to respond to requests from the Board of Professional Responsibility. His conduct was determined to violate Rules of Professional Conduct 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 8.1(b) and 8.4(a), (c) and (d).

Two lawyers recently were reinstated from inactive status. Texas lawyer Jodi Michelle Hansen was reinstated on Oct. 7 after being placed on inactive status in May 2012. Mississippi lawyer Jason E. Graeber was reinstated on Oct. 13 after being placed on inactive status in April 2012. Both filed petitions for reinstatement, which the Board of Professional Responsibility found to be satisfactory.

The Tennessee Supreme Court suspended 11 attorneys today for failure to pay the annual registration fee. Two of them also failed to file proof that client funds are held in an IOLTA-compliant account. View the Oct. 15 fee suspension order and IOLTA suspension order. See the list of all lawyers suspended for fee and IOLTA violations in 2021 or access all administrative suspensions dating back to 2005.

Memphis attorney Keisha Moses Richardson was today suspended from the practice of law by the Tennessee Supreme Court. She is suspended for two years retroactive to the date of her 2018 temporary suspension and indefinitely until she complies with a 2017 court order. A hearing panel found that Richardson charged an unreasonable fee, failed to expedite litigation, stopped communicating with her clients, violated a court order concerning custody of her child, engaged in the unauthorized practice of law while administratively suspended and failed to respond to disciplinary counsel. She must pay restitution to three former clients, the Board of Professional Responsibility costs and expenses and court costs within 90 days of the order.

The Tennessee Supreme Court today suspended Kevin William Teets from the practice of law for one year. A hearing panel found that Teets knew a bonding company had refused to remain on his client’s bond after conviction, but he intentionally misled the trial court to believe the bonding company would remain on the bond. The disciplinary complaint was filed in 2019 and, after the hearing panel’s decision, was appealed to the Davidson County Circuit Court, which affirmed the panel’s decision. Teets must reimburse the Board of Professional Responsibility for all proceeding costs and must pay court costs. He cannot return to the practice of law until reinstated by the Supreme Court.