Articles by Campbell Law Observer

On July 24, 2014, the Grievance Committee of the North Carolina State Bar met and reprimanded Attorney William Noel, III. Noel represented a client in a number of traffic matters and failed to appear on behalf of his client in violation of the Rules of Professional Conduct. Noel failed to respond to his client despite his efforts to communicate and failed to refund the fee the client paid. The office was being managed by the office manager without any supervision by Noel. The Committee found [...]

Entered on August 12, 2014,Kenneth Free was publicly reprimanded for violating his professional duties as a lawyer by failing to appeal for his client who asked him to do so. Lawyers practicing in this state owe to their clients the duties of competence, diligence, and communication, among many others. Particularly, as per the Plan of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit in Implementation of the Criminal Justice Act, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals stated that each [...]

On July 22, 2014, the North Carolina State Bar disbarred Richard Polidi. Polidi received funds in connection with the representation of a client that were assigned to a third party. He used the funds for his own benefit and the client’s without the authorization of the third party, in violation of Rule 1.15-2 and Rule 8.4 of the Rules of Professional Conduct. He ultimately transferred the funds to the client in an amount at least equal to the entrusted funds that he received in connection [...]

On June 12, 2014, a hearing panel of the Disciplinary Hearing Commission disbarred Sue Mako.  The Panel found that Mako failed to maintain accurate general ledgers, failed to maintain complete and accurate individual client ledgers, and failed to perform quarterly reconciliations of her trust account. She failed to properly maintain entrusted funds of her clients. Mako continued to spend funds that were not present in her trust account, and used funds for her own benefit without returning [...]

On June 18, 2014, a Hearing Panel of the Disciplinary Hearing Commission suspended Mary Phillips. Phillips failed to file annual accountings regarding a client’s estate, failed to respond to orders of the Clerk, failing to close out the client’s estate nearly five years after the estate was opened violating the duty of diligence and promptness in representing clients. She also ignored rules of the tribunals in this representation. She failed to respond to various parties invested in the [...]

Entered on June 12, 2014, the North Carolina State Bar suspended Roydera Hackworth for five years for the unauthorized practice of law in violation of Rule 5.5 of the Rules of Professional Conduct, making a false statement of material fact in connection with a disciplinary matter in violation of Rule 8.1, engaging in conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit, or misrepresentation in violation of Rule 8.4, and for violating the conditions of her suspension. In 2011, Hackworth began [...]

On January 23, 2014, a Grievance Committee of the North Carolina State Bar met and reprimanded Attorney Jennifer Moore. Jennifer Moore represented a parent in a child support matter originating in another state, and reported to the client that she had been actively negotiating with opposing counsel, when in fact only 1.3 hours of work in ten months was recorded. The Committee found that Moore failed to actively pursue the client’s interests for a long period of time, Rule 1.3 of the Rules of [...]