‘One-minute phone call’ subject of ethics appeal

Virginia lawyers find trouble in Maryland

By Peter Vieth
Published: May 1, 2013
Tags: Bankruptcy, Federal Courts, Lawyer Discipline, Real Estate, Virginia State Bar

A trio of Virginia-licensed lawyers recently found themselves facing criminal or disciplinary action in this state after first running afoul of authorities in Maryland. A lawyer who pleaded guilty in Maryland to taking part in a small business loan fraud scheme said to involve more than $100 million in losses now has admitted to misappropriating [...]

Lawyer agrees to close practice to resolve bar complaint

By Peter Vieth
Published: April 15, 2013
Tags: Lawyer Discipline, Virginia State Bar

It happens all the time. A lawyer is accused of misconduct and agrees to accept a public reprimand with terms. The terms usually involve some conditions for the lawyer’s future practice. In one recent case, the terms included what might be termed the death penalty for bar discipline. The lawyer is under orders to close [...]

VSB: Lawyer hid in apartment to avoid investigator

By Peter Vieth
Published: April 12, 2013
Tags: Lawyer Discipline, Virginia State Bar

A lawyer who allegedly appeared as counsel in at least 20 court cases after being suspended by the Virginia State Bar, and then apparently hid in his apartment to avoid a VSB investigator, has been summarily disbarred. After two clients complained about ineffective work by David B. Weinberg of Alexandria, the VSB sent the complaints [...]

Disbarment raises questions about reciprocal discipline

By Peter Vieth
Published: April 10, 2013
Tags: Bankruptcy, Federal Courts, Judge Stephen C. St. John, Lawyer Discipline, Virginia State Bar

For the second time in a dozen years, a Virginia State Bar discipline panel has struggled with whether Virginia lawyers should be forced to defend their VSB privileges based on suspension or revocation by federal authorities. The issue of so-called “reciprocal discipline” arose in the case of a Portsmouth lawyer who had his privilege to [...]

Lawyer ‘busted’ by criminal client

By Peter Vieth
Published: April 9, 2013
Tags: Lawyer Discipline, Virginia State Bar

A criminal defense lawyer reprimanded for lying to a judge can thank his client for blowing the whistle on him.

Prosecutor accepts reprimand from bar

By Peter Vieth
Published: March 20, 2013
Tags: Lawyer Discipline, Virginia State Bar

A prosecutor accused of gathering information from a defense lawyer under false pretenses has agreed to a public reprimand to resolve a Virginia State Bar discipline charge.

Short call was not misconduct

By Peter Vieth
Published: February 28, 2013
Tags: Justice William C. Mims, Lawyer Discipline, Supreme Court of Virginia News, Virginia State Bar

A lawyer who took a telephone call from a distraught adversary did not violate the bar’s ethics rules when she did not immediately hang up, the Supreme Court of Virginia has ruled. The court’s decision clears the record for Heather E. Zaug of Fairfax who received a “dismissal de minimis” for her phone conversation with [...]

Beach lawyer beats discipline charge

By Peter Vieth
Published: February 13, 2013
Tags: Judge Louis Allen Sherman, Lawyer Discipline, Norfolk Circuit Court, Personal Injury, Virginia State Bar

A Virginia Beach lawyer charged with misconduct by the Virginia State Bar has been exonerated by the VSB’s disciplinary board. Edward F. Halloran submitted a group of medical bills for two different personal injury claims for a single client, only to have the duplicate bills disallowed by a judge in the second action. The opposing [...]

Lawyer lost license over real estate practices

By Peter Vieth
Published: February 8, 2013
Tags: Lawyer Discipline, Real Estate, Virginia State Bar

A Richmond lawyer who had a high-volume real estate practice has surrendered his law license after findings of long-time lapses in bookkeeping and registration as a settlement agent. G. Dean Foster borrowed money to cover errors in his trust account that at one time totaled $176,000, according to the Virginia State Bar’s findings. In 2006, [...]