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December 3, 2010

Six Verrill Dana lawyers face hearings

By The Mainebiz News Staff

Six lawyers at Portland firm Verrill Dana could be professionally sanctioned for allegedly violating ethics rules related to former partner John Duncan's theft of $300,000 three years ago.

The lead counsel for the state Board of Bar Overseers, J. Scott Davis, recently filed a court complaint against former managing partner David Warren and five others who served on the firm's executive board at the time, claiming they "engaged in willful blindness" to Duncan's misconduct, according to the Portland Press Herald. In 2007, Duncan was fired from Verrill Dana, disbarred for life and sentenced to a little more than two years in federal prison for stealing from the firm's clients and the firm over a period of 10 years.

Davis filed the complaint against Warren and James Kilbreth III, who co-chaired Verrill Dana's executive board in the summer of 2007, as well as board members Eric Altholz, Mark Googins, Roger Clement Jr. and Juliet Browne, alleging they violated bar rules by mishandling Duncan's repayment of $77,500 that should have gone to a client but remained with the firm. Davis also alleged that Warren delayed an investigation into Duncan's behavior after his legal secretary expressed concerns over suspicious checks, but Warren denied being involved in a cover-up, according to the paper.

Disciplinary hearings for all six lawyers are scheduled for Dec. 13 and Dec. 14 at District Court in Lewiston. Should a judge decide that professional rules were broken, sanctions could range from reprimand to disbarment, according to the paper.

Go to the article from the Portland Press Herald >>

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