Huntsville attorney, Jon Davidson Levin, was issued a public reprimand with general publication on March 10, 2023, for violating Rules 1.2(c) [Scope of Representation], 1.4 [Communication], 1.7(b) [Conflict of Interest: General Rule], and 2.2 [Intermediary], Alabama Rules of Professional Conduct. In 2013, Levin began representing multiple business entities comprising a multinational enterprise engaged in government contracting to the US Government in support of its Middle East operations. The entities had overlapping ownership and leadership. In September 2016, the clients received notice that the primary US-based client had received a CENTCOM-wide Base Debarment, requiring ejection from a U.S. military base in Afghanistan within ten days absent a solution satisfactory to the US Government. Subsequently, Levin was advised by the clients’ corporate representatives that the deadline was shortened to seven days. The clients also informed Levin that the base debarment threatened catastrophic loss to the business enterprise. Levin presented the clients with several options regarding how to remedy this situation. The clients elected, three days before the deadline, to have one affiliated corporation acquire the assets of its base-debarred affiliate. This decision resulted in Levin having a conflict of interest in handling the transaction but without adequate time to involve outside counsel. Levin explained to the clients that their role in the transaction would be limited to preparing documents to accomplish the clients’ collective decision and objectives and that Levin could not be involved in negotiating the economic terms of the transaction between the clients. Levin proceeded with preparing the transaction documents with the understanding that their clients agreed to the limited scope of our representation. Levin did not fully explain the benefits, limitations, and risks of the joint representation as required by Rules 1.7(b) and 2.2, Alabama Rules of Professional Conduct and did not obtain the clients’ written acknowledgement of the limited scope representation as required by Rule 1.2, Alabama Rules of Professional Conduct. Further, Levin did not communicate with all the corporate representatives of the client entities on an equal basis as required by Rules 1.4 and 2.2, Alabama Rules of Professional Conduct.

Elba attorney, Alyse Phillips Fowler was issued a public reprimand with general publication on March 10, 2023, as ordered by the Disciplinary Commission of the Alabama State Bar, for violating Rules 8.4(b), (c), and (g) [Misconduct], Alabama Rules of Professional Conduct. On November 8, 2022, Fowler pled guilty to a Class A misdemeanor charge of Providing False Information to Register to Vote, a violation of Alabama Code § 17-17-46. Fowler knowingly provided a false address when registering to vote in the Elba, Alabama municipal election. Fowler was given a suspended six-month jail sentence, 12 months unsupervised probation, fined $1,000 plus court costs, and ordered to complete 50 hours of community service.

Birmingham attorney Thedric Brackett, Jr. is currently disbarred from the practice of law in the State of Alabama. He has received another disbarment, effective March 10, 2023, 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 Brackett after he was found guilty of violating Rules 1.2(d) [Scope of Representation], 3.4 [Fairness to Opposing Parties and Counsel], 4.1 [Truthfulness in Statements to Others], 8.1(b) [Bar Admission and Disciplinary Matters], and 8.4(a), (c), (d), and (g) [Misconduct], Ala. R. Prof. C. In 2016, Brackett was retained by a client to sue an individual regarding possession or title of a vehicle. Brackett provided copies of pleadings to the credit union that held the loan on the vehicle. Subsequently, when the individual attempted to pay off and obtain title to the vehicle, the payment was not accepted due to the purported lawsuit. The individual insisted she had never been served with a lawsuit. Corporate counsel for the credit union researched the AlaCourt filing system and discovered the case number on the purported pleadings were for another lawsuit. The Jefferson County Clerk confirmed that the case number provided by Brackett was fictitious or incorrect. No such lawsuit was filed and the pleadings provided to the credit union were fraudulent. Additionally, Brackett 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 complaint.

New Orleans attorney Larue Haigler, III, also licensed in Alabama was transferred to Disability Inactive Status pursuant to Rule 27(c), Alabama Rules of Disciplinary Procedure, effective February 28, 2023, by Order of the Supreme Court of Alabama. The Supreme Court entered its Order based upon the February 28, 2023, Order of Panel I of the Disciplinary Board of the Alabama State Bar in response to Haigler’s petition submitted to the Office of General Counsel requesting he be transferred to disability inactive status.

Dallas, Texas, attorney Parrish Scott Nordan was summarily suspended from the practice of law in the State of Alabama, pursuant to Rule 20(a), Alabama Rules of Disciplinary Procedure, by the Disciplinary Commission of the Alabama State Bar, effective February 9, 2023, for failing to respond to multiple formal requests that he provide a substantive written response concerning a disciplinary matter. Nordan subsequently submitted a substantive written response and on February 27, 2023, effectively motioned for dissolution of the summary suspension. On March 1, 2023, the Disciplinary Commission granted the motion and ordered the summary suspension dissolved.

On November 4, 2022, the Disciplinary Commission of the Alabama State Bar issued a private reprimand to an attorney for violating Rule 1.1 [Competence], Alabama Rules of Professional Conduct. The pertinent facts are that the attorney prepared an Option to Purchase Agreement for the sale of an immediate family member’s homestead giving the right to purchase the homestead for a sum certain within a specified time frame upon the death of the immediate family member to a second family member. The probate judge presiding over the estate of the immediate family member found the attorney, either deliberately or ineptly, prepared the Option to Purchase Agreement without consideration to cause the agreement to not be a valid contract and not enforceable.

On January 18, 2022, the Disciplinary Commission of the Alabama State Bar ordered a private reprimand be issued to an attorney for violating Rules 1.1 [Competence], 4.1 [Truthfulness to Others], 5.3 [Responsibilities Regarding Non-Lawyer Assistants], and 8.4 (c) and (g) [Misconduct], of the Alabama Rules of Professional Conduct. The attorney was retained by a purchaser to close a real estate transaction. The attorney admitted he failed to obtain confirmation from the buyers as to their agreement to a slight price change. Also, the attorney admitted that the attorney and/or attorney’s staff indicated an incorrect sales price on the closing documents. The attorney acknowledged a correct sales price is one of the most important pieces of information to verify when handling a real estate closing and admitted responsibility for their own actions as well as the actions of non-attorney employees. Further, the attorney admitted to failing to take action to correct the incorrect sales price after the buyers brought the error to the attorney’s attention, aside from suggesting the buyers contact the sellers.

Georgia, attorney Michael Anthony Eddings, who is also licensed in the State of Alabama, was ordered by the Disciplinary Board of the Alabama State Bar, to receive reciprocal discipline of disbarment in the State of Alabama, effective January 31, 2023, pursuant to Rule 25, Alabama Rules of Disciplinary Procedure. Eddings was disbarred from the practice of law in the State of Georgia for violating Rules 3.3, 4.1, 4.2(a), 8.1(a), and 8.4(a)(4) of the Georgia Rules of Professional Conduct. According to the Supreme Court of Georgia, Eddings, while representing a client charged with murder, interviewed a material witness that was represented by an attorney and failed to obtain permission prior to interviewing the material witness. During the witnesses’ murder trial Eddings testified under oath that he was aware that the witness was represented by other counsel and that he had not obtained counsel’s permission to speak with the witness. Eddings maintained that he was not required to obtain permission prior to speaking to the witness. The day following testimony, Eddings sent an email to the judge presiding over the murder trial and recanted his sworn trial testimony and averred that he had been given permission to speak with the witness by counsel.

Montgomery attorney Brian Daniel Mann was interimly suspended from the practice of law in the State of Alabama by order of the Disciplinary Commission of the Alabama State Bar effective December 28, 2022. The Disciplinary Commission’s order was based on a Petition for Interim Suspension filed by the Office of General Counsel of the Alabama State Bar wherein it was determined that Mann was engaging in continuing conduct that was causing or likely to cause immediate and serious injury to a client or the public. The Alabama Supreme Court noted Mann’s interim suspension effective December 28, 2022.

Fairhope attorney James McCauley Smith was suspended from the practice of law for a period of one (1) year in the State of Alabama by the Supreme Court of Alabama, effective December 15, 2022. The Supreme Court entered its order based upon the Disciplinary Board’s Report and Order, wherein Smith was found guilty of violating Rules 1.15 [Safekeeping] and 8.4(b), (c) and (g) [Misconduct] Alabama Rules of Professional Conduct. Smith admitted that he failed to deposit earned fees into his trust account and failed to file business and personal taxes for the past 4-5 years.

On November 28, 2022, the Supreme Court of Alabama issued an order accepting the voluntary surrender of Samuel Mark Hill’s license to practice law in the State of Alabama, with an effective date of November 28, 2022.

Bessemer attorney Lonnie Anthony Washington, Sr., was disbarred from the practice of law in the State of Alabama by Order of the Supreme Court of Alabama, effective November 23, 2022. The Supreme Court entered its order based upon the November 4, 2022, Order of Panel I of the Disciplinary Board of the Alabama State Bar. The Supreme Court entered its order based on the Disciplinary Board’s acceptance of Washington’s Consent to Disbarment based on pending disciplinary matters.

Bessemer attorney Lonnie Anthony Washington, Sr., was disbarred from the practice of law in the State of Alabama by Order of the Supreme Court of Alabama, effective November 23, 2022. The Supreme Court entered its order based upon the November 4, 2022, Order of Panel I of the Disciplinary Board of the Alabama State Bar. The Supreme Court entered its order based on the Disciplinary Board’s acceptance of Washington’s Consent to Disbarment based on pending disciplinary matters.

On November 18, 2022, the Supreme Court of Alabama issued an order accepting the voluntary surrender of Frederic Lamar Washington’s license to practice law in the State of Alabama, with an effective date of October 25, 2022.