Benton County lawyer Phillip Gordon Hollis received a censure from the Tennessee Supreme Court on Feb. 9. The court found that Hollis failed to provide notice of his March 2020 administrative suspension to clients, opposing counsel and the courts. He also failed to appear for a scheduled court hearing and informed the court that he had provided written notice of his suspension. When asked by the court to provide copies of these notices, Hollis could not. He later acknowledged he had not sent the letters. His actions violated Rules of Professional Conduct 1.3, 1.4, 1.16(d), 3.2, 3.3, 3.4(c) and 8.4(a)(c)(d).

Williamson County lawyer Bradley Michael Carter was reinstated to the practice of law today after four months of active suspension. He will serve two years on probation. The court also appointed Franklin lawyer Patricia McDade to serve as a practice monitor for the duration of the probation.

Davidson County lawyer Judson Wheeler Phillips was permanently disbarred yesterday by the Tennessee Supreme Court. The court said that Phillips consented to the disbarment because he could not “successfully defend himself against the charges” alleged in the petition for discipline.

Davidson County lawyer David Scott Parsley was reinstated to the practice of law today. He was suspended on Oct. 12, 2020, for one year, with three months to be served on active suspension and the remainder on suspension. Parsley filed a petition for reinstatement on Jan. 11.

The Tennessee Supreme Court on Friday suspended Delaware lawyer Matthew Ledvina from the practice of law for six years, with four years to be served on active suspension and the remainder to be served on probation retroactive to March 11, 2020. The court also directed Ledvina to file a petition to surrender his law license to practice law in Tennessee. The action was taken after Ledvina’s felony conviction for conspiracy to commit securities fraud in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts. Ledvina submitted a conditional guilty plea admitting his conduct violated Tennessee Rules of Professional Conduct 8.4(a), (b) and (c). He also agreed to petition the Supreme Court to surrender his license.

Campbell County lawyer Jody Rodenborn Troutman was placed on disability inactive status on Oct. 23, 2015, and subsequently suspended by the Tennessee Supreme Court on Dec. 21, 2020. On Oct. 13, 2020, she petitioned the court to remove her from disability inactive status. On Jan. 21, she also petitioned the court for reinstatement to active status. Today, the court removed Troutman from disability inactive status but conditioned reinstatement on the resolution of any pending disciplinary proceedings, including the December suspension which remains in effect.

The Tennessee Supreme Court today permanently disbarred Williamson County lawyer Matthew David Dunn from the practice of law and ordered him to pay restitution in the amount of $5,995 and costs of the disciplinary proceeding. Dunn accepted a referral from an intermediary organization not properly registered with the board, received a fee for services from a client but did not perform any legal services, failed to respond to the client’s requests for information about the representation or communicate in any manner, and abandoned the client. Dunn must comply with the requirements regarding the obligations and responsibilities of permanently disbarred attorneys.

Lauderdale County lawyer Jennifer Lynn Mayham was today suspended from the practice of law by the Tennessee Supreme Court for a period of five years, with one-year active suspension. She must also obtain an evaluation with the Tennessee Lawyer’s Assistance Program, engage the services of a practice monitor, pay restitution in the amount of $4,700 and reimburse the board for all costs in the disciplinary proceeding. Mayham was convicted of misdemeanor drug possession and plead guilty to misdemeanor perjury. She failed to reasonably communicate with seven clients regarding the status of their case and accepted retainers, after which she failed to perform the professional services for which she was retained. She also failed to respond to the board’s request for information during the investigation and comply with the Order of Temporary Suspension entered in 2018. She must comply with the requirements regarding the obligations and responsibilities of suspended attorneys and the procedure for reinstatement.

Maryville attorney Charles David Deas on Tuesday received a public censure from the Board of Professional Responsibility. Deas deposited his own funds in his trust account in order to issue a cashier’s check from that account. He also failed to adequately protect the bank checks for his trust account, and he failed to have proper procedures in place to make sure his assistant was in compliance with the Rules of Professional Conduct. These acts were found to violate Rules of Professional Conduct 1.15 and 5.3. A public censure is a rebuke and warning to the attorney, but it does not affect the attorney’s ability to practice law.

The Tennessee Supreme Court held for the first time today that lawyers who make unethical statements may receive harsher discipline if they choose to post those statements publicly on social media. In the case In Re: Winston Bradshaw Sitton, BPR#018440, the court found that Nashville attorney Winston B. Sitton posted comments on Facebook with instructions on how to shoot someone and make it look like self-defense. The comments were made in response to a question about state firearms law. The Board of Professional Responsibility recommended that Sitton’s law license be suspended for 60 days. The court rejected that recommendation saying it was too lenient. It instead imposed a suspension of four years, with one year to be served on active suspension and the rest on probation. Justice Sharon Lee filed a separate opinion saying she agreed with the sanction but did not believe the court had authority to review the hearing panel’s record. Read more about the court's action or download the BPR release.