Comments on: February 25 roundup

By: Lawyer suspended for advising clients to break into foreclosed homes

Lawyer suspended for advising clients to break into foreclosed homes — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 05:13:45 +0000

[…] Pending further disciplinary action, the State Bar of California suspended the right to practice of Michael Pines, whose exploits had garnered considerable press attention [Amanda Bronstad, NLJ; earlier here and here] […]

By: CarLitGuy

CarLitGuy — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 19:26:48 +0000

I would bet, sadly, that he is not disbarred. UNLESS, of course, they find him in possession of a firearm. Then, maybe. Some time ago, the CA District Attorney's office announced that they were bringing charges against a number of individuals involved in insurance fraud who were involved in staging accidents, including several attorneys. Major Insurance Fraud Ring includes Attorneys" Three of those four attorneys appear to have unblemished disciplinary records, at least as regards those charges. One has been convicted and is under an interim suspension order while its determined if he commited a crime involving moral turpetude. This appears to be the Attorney John Akopian referenced Appears to be Attorney Laufer Appears to be Attorney Katsnelson (Interim Suspension following conviction lists as going into effect next month) Appears to be Attorney Stephen M Weiss (Disciplined for other reasons in '01) Here's another example: Encino Lawyer amogn those Arrested and this appears to be Attorney Schar - According to the discilpinary record describing his interim suspension following conviction, violation of Insurance Code 750, subsection (a) "May or May Not be" a crime of Moral Turpetude... In the matter of Vadim Schar

By: John Burgess

John Burgess — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 16:16:57 +0000

The lawyer in the contempt case has upped the ante... he's now being held on felony threatening charges. A true halo to the legal profession. Any bets on whether CA disbars him?