Virginia lawyer admits guilt in business loan fraud

Former bar leader Lewis is disbarred

By Peter Vieth
Published: May 22, 2013
Tags: Attorneys Fees, Lawyer Discipline, Virginia Bar Association, Virginia State Bar

Once a leading Northern Virginia divorce lawyer and former president of the Virginia Bar Association, Vienna attorney Glenn C. Lewis has been stripped of his law license by a panel of the Virginia State Bar disciplinary board. The action Friday came after a hearing on charges that Lewis spent the fees paid by two clients [...]

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 [...]

Rehearing petition may work, says court

By Peter Vieth
Published: April 30, 2013
Tags: Bar Associations, Judge Teresa M. Chafin, Justice Cynthia D. Kinser, Justice Elizabeth A. McClanahan, Virginia State Bar

ABINGDON – If the Supreme Court of Virginia denies your client’s petition for appeal, take a serious look at a second try, members of the high court said at an April 26 “town hall meeting” on appellate practice. Chief Justice Cynthia D. Kinser, joined fellow Justice Elizabeth A. McClanahan and Court of Appeals Judge Teresa [...]

Virtual practice: Lawyers hanging a shingle in cyberspace

By Correy E. Stephenson
Published: April 29, 2013
Tags: Ethics, Law Office Management, Rules of Professional Conduct, Technology, Virginia State Bar

In Melissa Howell’s employment law practice, she rarely meets with her clients in her Norfolk office space. Instead, her clients prefer to work with her via phone and email or have her come to them, where she can access employment records and interview witnesses. Matthew Kaplan, who practices law out of his home in Arlington, [...]

Specialty ad rules back to status quo

By Peter Vieth
Published: April 18, 2013
Tags: Ethics, Legal Marketing, Supreme Court of Virginia News, Virginia State Bar

After announcing rule changes that would have barred lawyers from advertising credentials as specialists, then vacating the new rules a day before their effective date last fall, the Supreme Court of Virginia now has published a new set of lawyer advertising rules that preserves the status quo for specialty claims. In the latest set of [...]

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.