Disbarments

Richard L. Reynolds of Diamondhead, Mississippi: The Supreme

Court of Mississippi Disbarred Mr. Reynolds in Cause No. 2021-BD-435
in accordance with Rules 6 and 13 of the Rules of Discipline for the
Mississippi State Bar (MRD) based upon his entering a guilty plea to
misprision of a felony in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 4. Mr. Reynolds is barred
from seeking reinstatement pursuant to Rule 12(d), MRD.

Suspensions

J. Adam Miller of Nashville, Tennessee: A Complaint Tribunal

appointed by the Supreme Court of Mississippi Suspended Mr. Miller for
Six (6) months, effective March 2, 2020, for violation of Rules 1.4(a),
1.15(a), 1.15(c), 1.16(a), 8.4(a) and 8.4(d) of the Mississippi Rules of
Professional Conduct (MRPC). Mr. Miller must be reinstated in accordance
with Rule 12 of the Rules of Discipline for the Mississippi State Bar (MRD)
before returning to the practice of law.

On or about January 24, 2019, an informal [Bar] complaint was filed by an

individual alleging that Mr. Miller represented his wife while Mr. Miller was
suspended from the practice of law. Sometime in August 2019, Mr. Miller
was retained for legal representation in a criminal matter. However, Mr.
Miller was subsequently suspended on August 31, 2019. Mr. Miller failed to
inform his client of his license status. Mr. Miller scheduled a hearing in
December 2019 but did not appear. When contacted about why he failed to
appear Mr. Miller responded that the hearing was going to be reset. At no
time during the conversation, did Mr. Miller inform his client or her
husband that he was suspended. Likewise, he failed to inform his clients
that he was suspended from the practice of law for six months.

Rule 1.4 of the Mississippi Rules of Professional Conduct (MRPC), a lawyer

shall keep a client reasonably informed about the status of a matter and
promptly comply with reasonable requests for information. Rule 1.15(a)
provides that an attorney shall hold the property of clients and third
persons separate from the lawyer’s own property. The lawyer must identify
this other property and safeguard it. The rule also provides that the lawyer
shall keep complete records of trust account records for seven (7) years
following termination of the representation. Rule 1.15(c) provides that a
lawyer in possession of property in which both the lawyer and another
person claim an interest, the property shall be kept separate until
completion of accounting and severance of their respective interests, the
lawyer shall distribute the amount not in dispute, and keep separate the
amount in dispute until the dispute is resolved. Rule 1.16 (a) MRPC,
provides a lawyer shall not represent a client or, where representation has
commenced shall withdraw from the representation of a client if: (1) the
representation will result in violation of the rules of professional conduct or
other law; (2) the lawyer’s physical or mental condition materially repairs
the lawyer’s ability to represent the client; or (3) the lawyer is discharged.
Rule 8.4(a), MRPC, provides that it is professional misconduct for a lawyer
to violate or attempt to violate the rules of professional conduct.

Christina Huffman Bennett of Brandon, Mississippi: A Complaint

Tribunal appointed by the Supreme Court of Mississippi Suspended Ms.
Bennett for Six (6) months for violation of Rules 1.4(a), 1.5, 1.15(a), 1.15(c),
8.4(a) and 8.4(d) of the Mississippi Rules of Professional Conduct (MRPC).
Ms. Bennett must apply for reinstatement in accordance with the Rules of
Discipline for the Mississippi State Bar (MRD) to return to the practice of
law.

A client filed an informal [Bar] complaint against Ms. Bennett. The client
had retained Ms. Bennett and her law partner to represent him in a
criminal matter and paid a fee. The fee was placed in the firm’s operating
account instead of the lawyer trust account. Prior to completing the
representation, the law partner died. Following the law partner’s death,
Ms. Bennett failed to respond to the client’s attempts at communication
and did not complete the representation.

In another matter, a client filed an informal [Bar] complaint against Ms.

Bennett where the client had retained Ms. Bennett and her law partner for a
criminal matter and paid a fee. This fee was also improperly deposited into
the firm’s operating account instead of the lawyer trust account. The law
partner died three months after the representation began at which time the
client terminated the representation. Also following the partner’s death,
Ms. Bennett removed funds from the lawyer trust account without
conducting an accounting to determine the ownership of those funds.
Rule 1.4(a), MRPC, requires a lawyer to keep a client reasonably informed
about the status of the matter and promptly comply with requests for
information. Rule 1.5, MRPC, requires a lawyer’s fee to be reasonable.
Rule 1.15(a), MRPC, provides that a lawyer shall hold the property of clients
and third parties separate from their own property. The lawyer must
identify this other property and safeguard it. The rule also provides that
the lawyer shall maintain complete records of trust account funds for a
period of seven (7) years following termination of the representation. Rule
1.15(c), MRPC, provides that a lawyer in possession of property in which
both the lawyer and another person claim an interest, the property shall be
kept separate by the lawyer until completion of an accounting and a
severance of their respective interests, the lawyer shall distribute the
portion not in dispute, and keep separate the portion in dispute until the
dispute is resolved. Rule 8.4(a), MPRC, provides that it is professional
misconduct to violate or attempt to violate the rules of professional
conduct. Rule 8.4(d), MRPC, provides that it is professional misconduct to
engage in conduct that is prejudicial to the administration of justice.

Private Reprimands

A Complaint Tribunal appointed by the Supreme Court of Mississippi

imposed a Private Reprimand against a Mississippi attorney for
violating Rules 1.4(a) and 1.5(b), MRPC.

A client filed an informal [Bar] complaint against the Mississippi attorney.

The Mississippi attorney had been hired to enroll and collect a foreign
judgment against a Mississippi resident. Most of the client’s
communications were through the client’s Louisiana counsel who had
obtained the original judgment. The Mississippi attorney agreed to
perform the work for a flat fee. Louisiana counsel sent the Mississippi
attorney a letter confirming the representation and forwarding the client’s
check for legal fees which was to be billed against at a rate of $200 per
hour. The Mississippi attorney failed to correct the client or Louisiana
counsel’s misunderstanding as to the basis of the fee. The Mississippi
attorney also admitted that he failed to reasonably communicate with the
client early in the representation.

Rule 1.4(a), MRPC, requires a lawyer to keep a client reasonably informed

about the status of the matter and promptly comply with requests for
information. Rule 1.5(b), MRPC, requires a lawyer to communicate the
basis of his or her fee, preferably in writing, before or within a reasonable
time after commencing the representation.

A Complaint Tribunal appointed by the Supreme Court of Mississippi

imposed a Private Reprimand against a Mississippi attorney in Cause
No. 2021-B-206 for violating Rules 3.3(a), 3.4(c), 4.1(a) and 8.4 (a), (c) and
(d) of the Mississippi Rules of Professional Conduct. These Rules of
Professional Conduct require that a lawyer shall not make a false statement
of material fact or law to a Tribunal. That a lawyer shall not knowingly
disobey an obligation under the Rules of a Tribunal. That a lawyer shall not
make a false statement of material fact or law to a third person. That a
lawyer shall not violate or attempt to violate the Rules of Professional
Conduct or knowingly assist or induce another to do so. Nor shall a lawyer
engage in conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit or misrepresentation;
or engage in conduct that is prejudicial to the administration of justice.

The conduct of the lawyer during his representation before a Tribunal was
not a candid expression of material facts or law related to such
representation. The knowingly false representation of the lawyer reached a
level protected and prohibited by the Rules of Professional Conduct. This
conduct impeded the administration of justice and was contrary to the
obligations owed by the lawyer in his representations before the Tribunal.

Reinstatements

Attorney Roe Reinstatement: The Supreme Court of Mississippi

Reinstated an attorney to the practice of law from disability inactive
status in Cause No. 2020-BR-00430 pursuant to Rule 23 of the Rules of
Discipline for the Mississippi State Bar (MRD).