Disciplinary Actions from the Most Recent Journal

Disbarments

Wilmington lawyer Roddey M. Brown III surrendered his law license to the State Bar Council and was disbarred. Brown admitted that he misappropriated entrusted funds totaling at least $21,282.16.

Christine C. Gates of Charlotte surrendered her law license to the Wake County Superior Court and was disbarred. Gates pled guilty in federal court to felony mail, wire and/or bank fraud, conspiracy, and money laundering.

Joseph L. Smalls Jr. of Columbia, South Carolina, was disbarred pursuant to an Order of Reciprocal Discipline entered by the chair of the Grievance Committee. The order reciprocated the South Carolina Supreme Court's Order of Disbarment which found that Respondent failed to maintain the records and integrity of his trust accounts, mishandled client funds, and ignored financial recordkeeping requirements.

Warrenton lawyer Michael A. Williams surrendered his law license to the Wake County Superior Court and was disbarred. Williams admitted that he misappropriated entrusted funds totaling at least $16,350.00.

Suspensions & Stayed Suspensions

The DHC suspended Wilson lawyer Mark L. Bibbs for one year. Bibbs appeared in the courthouse intoxicated and was loudly belligerent to courthouse personnel. The suspension is stayed for three years upon compliance with numerous conditions.

Tolly A. Kennon III of Charlotte was suspended for three years. Kennon improperly advised unrepresented people who were potential witnesses against his clients in two criminal cases. The interests of the witnesses were potentially in conflict with those of Kennon's clients. His advice, if followed, could have obstructed the opposing party's access to evidence.

Disability Inactive Status

Judith Bullock of Cary was transferred to disability inactive status by consent order of the Grievance Committee. Bullock suffers from depression.

Brett Hubbard of Cary was transferred to disability inactive status by consent order of the Grievance Committee. Hubbard suffers from depression.

The DHC transferred Morehead City lawyer Grey Holland McCormick to disability inactive status. McCormick was convicted of the felony of manufacturing, selling, delivering, or possessing a controlled substance with intent to manufacture, sell, or deliver and of the misdemeanor of maintaining a place for use, keeping, or sale of a controlled substance. The trial court suspended McCormick for one year in her criminal case. McCormick's disciplinary action is stayed until she is restored to active status.

Censures

Raleigh lawyer Lori M. Glenn was censured by the Grievance Committee. In a real estate closing, Glenn failed to inform her client, the buyer, that a deed of trust remained on the property after closing, depriving her client of necessary information to make an informed decision about the transaction. Glenn did not comply with her client's request for copies of the deed and HUD-1 Settlement Statement. The client's title insurance policy was cancelled when Glenn failed to submit a final title opinion and failed to pay the premium for more than a year after closing. Glenn held the title insurance premium in her trust account for over a year and failed to provide her client a written accounting of the funds.

Reprimands

Ernest C. Carter Jr. of Ahoskie was reprimanded by the Grievance Committee. Carter undertook to represent his clients in a dispute with their homebuilder but then failed to take any action on their behalf. He did not communicate with his clients for almost four years. Carter also failed to reconcile his trust account quarterly and failed properly to account for entrusted funds.

Leon Coxe of Jacksonville was reprimanded by the Grievance Committee. Coxe drafted a real estate purchase contract for a client but failed to properly hold the deed for the property in trust and failed to promptly deliver the deed when the client requested it.

Charlotte lawyer Naadei Dzani was reprimanded by the Grievance Committee. Dzani improperly split a fee with a lawyer in another firm, agreed to handle an adoption case she was not competent to handle, failed to represent her client diligently, failed to promptly withdraw from the case when the representation ended, and failed to communicate with her client.

Maxton lawyer Chad Hammonds was reprimanded by the Grievance Committee. Hammonds represented four clients in a personal injury case arising from a car accident. He failed to notify any of his clients that he had conflicts of interest. He filed two civil cases. In one civil case, Hammonds named two of his clients as defendants. Despite his conflict of interest, which required him to withdraw from representing any of the clients, Hammonds withdrew from representing only two of the clients and continued to represent the remaining two.

Kimberly J. Jordan of Raleigh was reprimanded by the Grievance Committee. Jordan neglected her client's domestic case, failed to appear at a scheduled meeting with her client, failed to communicate with her client, failed to respond to the State Bar's request for additional information and failed to comply with the State Bar's subpoena.

Charlotte lawyer Nikita Mackey was reprimanded by the Grievance Committee. Mackey listed his martial status as "single" on a bankruptcy petition when he was in fact married. He was found in criminal contempt of court for failing to appear at his criminal client's trial. He failed to comply with the State Bar's subpoenas for production of state tax records.

Admonitions by DHC

Wilson lawyer Michael Anderson filed an unlawful charging lien against his former client. He rejected the Grievance Committee's reprimand. After Anderson acknowledged the wrongfulness of his conduct, he was admonished by the DHC in a consent order of discipline.

Dismissals by the DHC

After an evidentiary hearing, the DHC dismissed the State Bar's disciplinary case against David McGuire of Raleigh.

Petitions for Reinstatement

Winston-Salem lawyer Shonna Alexander was reinstated on October 27, 2009, from a suspension imposed by the DHC.

Notice of Intent to Seek Reinstatement

Individuals who wish to note their concurrence with or opposition to these petitions should file written notice with the secretary of the State Bar, PO Box 25908, Raleigh, NC 27611, before February 1, 2010 (60 days from publication).

In the Matter of Michael L. Yopp

Notice is hereby given that Michael L. Yopp of Dunn, North Carolina, intends to file a petition for reinstatement before the Disciplinary Hearing Commission of the North Carolina State Bar. Yopp surrendered his law license and was disbarred July 19, 2002, for misappropriating client funds for his personal benefit, over-disbursing client funds, and failing to reconcile his trust account.