04.02.2014 Censure [Guilford County]

Photo Courtesy of the North Carolina State Bar

Robert L. Scott was employed by The O’Brien Law Firm from June 2006 through August 2010.  Throughout this time period, Scott handled over 200 real estate closings a month in North Carolina, but did not have signature authority for the firm’s trust accounts held for closing funds, did not properly follow up during post-losing processes such as timely payments of taxes, and relied heavily on non-lawyer employees at the firm to perform much of the real estate closing work.

On December 10, 2013, the Hearing Panel of the NC State Bar granted partial summary judgment in favor of the State Bar.  The panel concluded that Scott violated Rule 1.3, Rule 1.15-2(m), and Rule 1.4(a) of the Rules of Professional Conduct for the way he mishandled the real estate closings at The O’Brien Law Firm. At its February 20, 2014 meeting, the panel decided the appropriate discipline for the violations would to issue a censure.

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