On April 13, 2021, the Disciplinary Commission of the Alabama State Bar issued a private reprimand to an attorney for violating Rules 1.3 [Diligence], 1.4 [Communication], and 8.4 (g) [Misconduct], Alabama Rules of Professional Conduct. In August 2019, the attorney was approached by the owner of property where the attorney previously performed a title search and was the closing attorney for the redemption of property in 2015. The owner recorded the deed; however, the tax office continued to list the original owner on the deed. The tax records indicated the original owner had been paying taxes on the property since 2011, four years after the attorney conducted the title search and closing the redemption of the property. The owner was unable to remove the original property owner from the deed and he asked the attorney to assist him with the matter. The attorney agreed to assist him and asked him for a few days to research the problem. Thereafter, the attorney failed to communicate with the owner or failed to take any action on his behalf to resolve the discrepancy in the ownership of the property. The attorney agreed to assist the owner in resolving the title to the property. By October 2020, the attorney failed to take any action to clear the title to the property. The Office of General Counsel spoke with the attorney on October 28, 2020 and January 25, 2021 and each time the attorney promised to take steps to resolve the matter. On March 8, 2021, the Office of General counsel again contacted the attorney by email and the attorney was offered another opportunity to resolve the matter asked to contact the Office of General Counsel immediately. The attorney failed to respond.

On September 17, 2021, the respondent attorney received a private reprimand for violating Rule 8.4(g) [Misconduct], Alabama Rules of Professional Conduct. The respondent attorney retained the services of a court reporter to take multiple depositions. Despite repeated requests for payment, the respondent attorney failed to pay the invoices for the depositions.

On June 9, 2021 the Disciplinary Commission of the Alabama State Bar ordered that an attorney receive a private reprimand for violating Rules 1.15 [Safekeeping Property] and 8.4 (g) [Misconduct], Alabama Rules of Professional Conduct. On March 9, 2020, the attorney was retained to represent a client in a divorce and the client paid the attorney an initial retainer of $3,250, to be billed at a rate of $250 per hour. The attorney admitted that the funds were not placed in trust as required by Rule 1.15, Alabama Rules of Professional Conduct. However, there is no indication that the attorney did not later earn the retainer or additional payments made by the client. The client’s main allegation was that the attorney made an inappropriate sexual advance through text. When confronted with copies of the communication the attorney admitted that a sexual advance was made.

On August 17, 2021, the Disciplinary Commission of the Alabama State Bar ordered that an attorney receive a private reprimand for violating Rules 3.4(d) [Fairness to Opposing Party and Counsel] and 4.2 [Communication with Person Represented by Counsel], Alabama Rules of Professional Conduct. While representing a client in a domestic relations matter, the client sent an email to the attorney and the opposing party. The attorney replied “all” to the email. The opposing party was represented by counsel at the time. As such, while the attorney was not attempting to gain an advantage in the litigation, the attorney violated Rule 4.2 by directly communicating with the opposing party. In addition, during the course of the Bar’s investigation, the attorney informed a witness that if she wanted to help him, to not contact the Bar in violation of Rule 3.4(d).

On July 29, 2021, the Disciplinary Board of the Alabama State Bar entered an order imposing reciprocal discipline on an attorney in the form of a private reprimand, pursuant to Rule 25(a), Alabama Rules of Disciplinary Procedure. On or about July 25, 2021, pursuant to Rule 25, Alabama Rules of Disciplinary Procedure, the Office of General Counsel of the Alabama State Bar filed a copy of discipline imposed and entered by the Supreme Court of South Carolina on May 13, 2021, admonishing the attorney for violating Rules 1.4 [Communication] and 1.16(d) [Declining or Terminating Representation], South Carolina Rules of Professional Conduct. Pursuant to Rule 25(d), Alabama Rules of Disciplinary Procedure., the Disciplinary Board of the Alabama State Bar is required to impose the identical discipline upon the attorney as that imposed by the foreign jurisdiction unless three exceptions to reciprocal discipline as identified in Rule 25(d), Alabama Rules of Disciplinary Procedure., exist. Because the attorney had previously consented to the issuance of a private reprimand, none of the three exceptions to reciprocal discipline existed in this case.

Horton attorney Sarah Alexander Stephens was transferred to Inactive Status, effective September 3, 2021, by Order of the Supreme Court of Alabama. The Supreme Court entered its Order based upon the September 3, 2021 Order of Panel II of the Disciplinary Board of the Alabama State Bar in response to a Stephens’s petition filed with the Office of General Counsel requesting she be transferred to inactive status.

Columbiana attorney William Thomas Harrison was transferred to Inactive Status, effective September 3, 2021, by Order of the Supreme Court of Alabama. The Supreme Court entered its Order based upon the September 3, 2021 Order of Panel II of the Disciplinary Board of the Alabama State Bar in response to a Harrison’s petition filed with the Office of General Counsel requesting he be transferred to inactive status.

Monroeville attorney Leston Curtiss Stallworth, Jr., was suspended from the practice of law in the State of Alabama for a period of sixty (60) days, effective September 2, 2021. The suspension was based upon the Disciplinary Commission’s acceptance of Stallworth’s Conditional Guilty Plea, wherein he pled guilty to violating Rules 1.9, and 1.16 Alabama Rules of Professional Conduct. Stallworth jointly represented two clients in an estate matter. In February 2018, one of the clients hired other counsel for representation in the circuit court proceedings and Stallworth withdrew as client’s counsel. Thereafter, the client filed a cross-claim against Stallworth’s remaining client and became adverse parties in the circuit matter. Stallworth filed a counter-claim against his former client in June 2018. New counsel for his former client requested that Stallworth withdraw from representation. The Circuit Court advised Stallworth to seek an ethics opinion from the Alabama State Bar as to whether he had a conflict of interest in representing the adverse party or that Stallworth withdraw from the case. Stallworth did not seek or obtain an ethics opinion. During a hearing on May 1 2019, the court again stated that Stallworth should obtain an ethics opinion as to whether he had a conflict of interest, or alternatively, withdraw from the case. Stallworth later withdrew from representation.

On September 22, 2021, the Alabama Supreme Court issued an order accepting the voluntary surrender of Alfred Quinton’s Booth license to practice law in the State of Alabama, with an effective date of July 20, 2021.

Auburn attorney Brandon Michael Hughes was disbarred from the practice of law in the State of Alabama by the Supreme Court of Alabama, effective July 20, 2021. The Supreme Court entered its order based upon the Disciplinary Board’s Order accepting Hughes’s Consent to Disbarment, which was based on pending disciplinary matters involving Hughes’s recent guilty plea to committing the criminal offenses of First Degree Perjury and using his office as District Attorney for personal gain.

Auburn attorney Brandon Michael Hughes was disbarred from the practice of law in the State of Alabama by the Supreme Court of Alabama, effective July 20, 2021. The Supreme Court entered its order based upon the Disciplinary Board’s Order accepting Hughes’s Consent to Disbarment, which was based on pending disciplinary matters involving Hughes’s recent guilty plea to committing the criminal offenses of First Degree Perjury and using his office as District Attorney for personal gain.

Montgomery attorney, Michael Aaron Fritz, was transferred to inactive status effective July 20, 2021, by Order of the Supreme Court of Alabama. The Supreme Court entered its Order based upon the July 20, 2021 Order of Panel II of the Disciplinary Board of the Alabama State Bar in response to the Alabama State Bar’s petition submitted to the Disciplinary Board requesting Fritz be transferred to inactive status.

Bessemer attorney Richard Larry McClendon is currently disbarred from the practice of law in the State of Alabama. He has received another disbarment, effective June 24, 2021, to run consecutively to his current disbarment from the practice of law. The Supreme Court entered its order based on the Report and Order of the Disciplinary Board of the Alabama State Bar, disbarring McClendon after he was found guilty of violating Rules 1.3 [Diligence], 1.4 [Communication], 1.15(a) [Safekeeping Property], 1.16(d) [Declining or Terminating Representation], 8.1(b) [Bar Admission and Disciplinary Matters], and 8.4 (g) [Misconduct], Ala. R. Prof. C. In 2015 and 2016, McClendon was hired by several clients for representation and was paid to handle their matters. Thereafter, McClendon failed to take any other action on the client’s behalf and the clients were unable to contact McClendon or obtain a refund of the fees paid. McClendon also did not inform the clients of his disbarment from the practice of law, effective June 23, 2016. Additionally, McClendon failed to respond to multiple requests from the Office of General Counsel of the Alabama State Bar for a written response to the client’s complaints.

Mobile attorney Douglas Kendall Dunning was suspended from the practice of law in the State of Alabama for a period of five (5) years by the Supreme Court of Alabama, effective June 23, 2021. The Supreme Court entered its order based on the Disciplinary Commission’s order accepting Dunning’s Conditional Guilty Plea wherein he voluntarily entered a plea of guilty to violating Rules 1.3 [Diligence], 1.4 [Communication], 1.15 [Safekeeping Property], 5.3 [Responsibilities Regarding Non-Lawyer Assistants], 8.1 [Bar Admission and Disciplinary Matters], and 8.4(d) and (g) [Misconduct] Alabama Rules of Professional Conduct. Dunning failed to properly supervise a non-lawyer employee resulting in the theft of trust account funds by the employee.

Birmingham attorney William Cater Elliott was disbarred from the practice of law in the State of Alabama by order of the Alabama Supreme Court, effective June 22, 2021. The Supreme Court entered its order based on the order of the Disciplinary Commission of the Alabama State Bar disbarring Elliott as a result of his conviction of one count of organized fraud over $50,000 in the Circuit Court of Santa Rosa County, Florida.