A story in yesterday’s issue of TBA Today incorrectly identified the hometown of attorney Thomas Tansil. Though the Board of Professional Responsibility lists his address as Paris, Tennessee, it is now not clear exactly where he lives. He was convicted in Carroll County Circuit Court.

Shelby County lawyer Kevin Glenn Patterson recently received a censure from the Tennessee Supreme Court. The court found that Patterson failed to retain client funds in his IOLTA account after a client did not cash a check for a year and did not respond to various attempts to reach her. More than four years later, the client cashed the check which caused an overdraft in Patterson’s client trust account. Patterson immediately corrected the overdraft, disclosed the overdraft and cooperated with the Board of Professional Responsibility. He agreed to a conditional guilty plea that his actions violated Rules of Professional Conduct 1.15.

The Tennessee Supreme Court yesterday suspended attorney Thomas A. Tansil Jr. from the practice of law until further notice. The court took the action after Tansil entered a plea of "nolo contendere" to three felonies involving theft of property, tampering with government records and computer offenses. The court also referred the matter to the Board of Professional Responsibility for a determination of the extent of the final discipline. Tansil was indicted by a Carroll County grand jury in 2020.

The Tennessee Supreme Court issued an order Friday suspending two additional lawyers for non-compliance with 2020 continuing education requirements. See the list of all lawyers suspended for CLE non-compliance in 2021 and those who have been reinstated.

The Tennessee Supreme Court suspended seven attorneys yesterday for failure to pay the annual registration fee. Four of those also were suspended for failing to file proof that client funds are 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.

Sullivan County lawyer Jason R. McLellan was temporarily suspended from the practice of law on Sept. 9 by the Tennessee Supreme Court. McLellan was suspended after the court found he had misappropriated funds for his own use, posed a threat of substantial harm to the public and failed to respond to the Board of Professional Responsibility (BPR) regarding a complaint of misconduct. He is precluded from accepting new cases and must stop representing clients by Oct. 9. McLellan must notify all clients, co-counsel and opposing counsel of his suspension and is required to deliver to all clients any papers or property to which they are entitled.

The Tennessee Supreme Court reinstated Davidson County lawyer Karl Emmanuel Pulley to the practice of law on Sept. 9 and conditioned reinstatement on engagement of a practice monitor. Pulley also was directed not incur any new complaints of misconduct related to the conduct for which he was suspended. On June 8, the court suspended Pulley for one year, with 30 days to be served on active suspension and the rest on probation.

A number of lawyers were reinstated recently after being suspended for administrative violations. Seven were reinstated after failing to complete required CLE hours: six in 2020 and one in 2017. In addition, two lawyers have been reinstated after paying their 2020 professional privilege tax. Finally, 18 have been reinstated after paying required fees: 15 who were suspended in 2021, two in 2020 and one in 2013. The TBA has records of all administrative suspensions and reinstatements going back to 2005. See all lists here.

Six lawyers have recently been reinstated after being suspended for failure to complete required CLE hours. See the full list of those suspended and reinstated in 2021 for 2020 violations. The TBA also has records of all administrative suspensions and reinstatements going back to 2005. See all lists here.

Mississippi attorney Phillip Gregory Meek was yesterday disbarred by the Tennessee Supreme Court. He had been disbarred in 2013 by the Supreme Court of Mississippi. In July, the high court entered a notice of reciprocal discipline ordering Meek to inform the court why the discipline imposed in Mississippi should not also be imposed in Tennessee. Meek did not file a response with the court. He must pay court costs and expenses of the Board of Professional Responsibility within 90 days of the order.