REINSTATED

The following lawyers had their law licenses transferred to disability inactive status. They may not practice law while on inactive status. They may seek reinstatement by the Tennessee Supreme Court after showing that the disability has been removed.

• • South Carolina lawyer John Errett Buis
• • Virginia lawyer Shannon H. Chierichella
• • Mississippi lawyer Franklin Alan Garrison
• • Carter County lawyer Jason Lee Holly
• • Shelby County lawyer Gilbert Henry Jacobson
• • Dickson County lawyer Bridget Eileen Rose Metzger
• • Georgia lawyer Courtney Christian Sharp
• • Florida lawyer Darian Boos Taylor
• • Shelby County lawyer John Rolfe Windsor Jr.

DISABILITY INACTIVE

The following lawyers had their law licenses transferred to disability inactive status. They may not practice law while on inactive status. They may seek reinstatement by the Tennessee Supreme Court after showing that the disability has been removed.

• Blount County lawyer Horace Maynard Brown III
• Hardeman County lawyer William Boyette Denton

DISCIPLINARY
Disbarred

The Tennessee Supreme Court permanently disbarred Knox County attorney Douglas A. Trant from the practice of law on March 26. Trant was retained by clients in two separate matters to potentially pursue specific legal objectives that were dependent on the outcome of initial research to establish whether they had viable causes of action. In both cases, Trant accepted a fee to conduct initial research, performed only minimal legal research, and discovered that neither client had a meritorious claim or viable cause of action. However, he falsely stated to each client that their cases had merit and accepted more substantial fees to initiate litigation. He took no further action. He never filed a complaint or initiated litigation, ceased all communication, failed to refund the unearned fees, failed to return client files, and abandoned his clients and their cases. These actions were determined to violate Rules of Professional Conduct 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.16 and 8.4.

Suspended

On March 26, the Supreme Court of Tennessee suspended Hawkins County lawyer Gerald Todd Eidson from the practice of law for two years with one year to be served on active suspension and the remainder on probation so long as Eidson engages a practice monitor. The court took the action after determining that Eidson failed to provide competent representation to a client, failed to act with reasonable diligence and promptness during his representation of the client, and failed to inform the Juvenile Court of an earlier misrepresentation regarding the incarceration status of the client, which resulted in prejudice to the administration of justice. His actions were determined to violate Rules of Professional Conduct 1.1, 1.3 and 8.4(d).

The Tennessee Supreme Court has upheld the suspension of Shelby County lawyer Daryl A. Gray’s law license. Two complaints were filed against Gray. The first alleged that he improperly handled funds after he settled a client’s personal injury lawsuit by refusing to pay a medical provider’s valid lien and falsely asserting that other medical providers had filed claims. The second, stemming from a different personal injury lawsuit, alleged that Gray filed the action against the wrong defendant, never served the amended complaint on the correct defendant, failed to adequately communicate with his client about a motion to dismiss, and failed to timely withdraw from representation. A Board of Professional Responsibility hearing panel determined that Gray violated professional conduct rules and recommended a six-month suspension, with two months to be served on active suspension and the remainder on probation. Gray challenged the recommended discipline, claiming it was unfounded, arbitrary, capricious and excessive. The court rejected his arguments and imposed the suspension.

Mississippi lawyer Carlos Eugene Moore was suspended from the practice of law in Tennessee on March 27 after being suspended by the Supreme Court of Mississippi on Dec. 31, 2024. The reciprocal discipline was imposed after the Tennessee Supreme Court reviewed Moore’s response to its Feb. 25 order directing him to demonstrate why the discipline imposed in Mississippi should not also be applied in Tennessee.

Effective Feb. 24, the Tennessee Supreme Court suspended Shelby County lawyer Aaron Anthony Neglia from the practice of law for 10 years. On June 9, 2022, the Supreme Court suspended Neglia and asked the Board of Professional Responsibility (BPR) to institute formal proceedings. Neglia pleaded guilty in two felony cases and was sentenced in the Shelby County Criminal Court for bribery of a public servant and in the U.S. District Court for conspiracy to violate the Travel Act. On July 19, 2022, the BPR filed a petition to institute formal proceedings in the case. A hearing panel of the board found that Neglia’s conduct violated Tennessee Rules of Professional 8.4(a), (b), (c), and (d), and imposed a 10-year suspension. In November 2024, the court weighed increasing punishment from suspension to disbarment. Following review, the court agreed with the recommendations of the panel and imposed a 10-year suspension but applied a 124-day credit to the term.

Censured

The Tennessee Supreme Court imposed a public censure on Bedford County lawyer Richard Lamar Dugger on April 9. The court found that Dugger violated Rules of Professional Conduct 1.1, 1.3, 3.2 and 3.4 in representing one client in a bankruptcy case and a second client in a landlord tenant case. In the first complaint, the court found that Dugger failed to include his client’s home in a bankruptcy matter, which resulted in his client’s home being foreclosed. In the second matter, Dugger failed to appear in court, failed to take action following the entry of an adverse judgment against his client and delayed the outcome of the case.

Gibson County lawyer Eric Preston Egbert received a public censure from the Tennessee Supreme Court on March 14. The court took the action after finding that he engaged in activity that involved a conflict of interest in violation of Rule of Professional Conduct 1.7, 1.9(c) and 8.4(d) and (e). Egbert agreed to represent two individuals in probating the estate of their brother. The principal asset was a parcel of realty located in the county. The clients subsequently decided not to proceed with the probate action, and Egbert closed his file. Some time later Egbert was hired as the delinquent tax attorney for the county. In this capacity, he learned of delinquent taxes on the property and contacted the former clients with an offer to purchase the land. No sale took place, but the court found that the action created a concurrent conflict of interest between Egbert’s role as a real estate investor and as delinquent tax attorney. The court announced the censure on March 24.

Wilson County lawyer Mitchell Jeffery Ferguson received a public censure from the Tennessee Supreme Court on April 17. Ferguson was appointed to represent a client who was charged with several felonies, including first degree murder. During the representation, Ferguson failed to appear for multiple court hearings and failed to communicate with the court and his client about hearing dates and absences. The Supreme Court also found that he failed to provide communication or copies of legal documents to the client and failed to meet with the client for trial preparation. His inaction resulted in multiple continuances, removal from the case and postponement of the client’s murder trial, thereby prejudicing the administration of justice. His actions were determined to violate Rules of Professional Conduct 1.3, 1.4, 3.2 and 8.4(d).

Sullivan County lawyer Steven Carl Frazier received a public censure from the Tennessee Supreme Court on April 17. The court found that Frazier violated Rules of Professional Conduct 1.4(a), 1.5(a) & (b) and 1.15(a) & (b) and conditioned the censure on refunding a client $2,500 within 30 days. Frazier was retained by the client for representation in a property boundary dispute. The court found that Frazier did not deposit the retainer fee into his trust account and wrongfully commingled the client funds with his own. The court also found that he did not track his time, issue an invoice for legal services, or communicate the fee or expenses the client would pay. He also did not obtain a signed explanation of the parties’ intent and amount of non-refundable funds. He later stopped responding to the client’s requests for updates and took no further action on the case. Finally, the court found that while Frazier offered to refund one-half of the client’s fees three years after the client filed a disciplinary complaint, the fees were never paid.

Knox County lawyer Jerry Ronald Givens received a public censure from the Tennessee Supreme Court on April 14. The court found that Givens violated Rules of Professional Conduct 1.3, 3.4 and Rule 8.4(d) while representing a client in a general sessions civil suit. Among his actions, Givens failed to attend the initial trial setting, at which a judgment was entered against his client; untimely appealed the judgment to circuit court after the 10-day appeal deadline; untimely filed an appellate brief; failed to comply with an extension of time to file the brief; and failed to file a motion for extension of time to file the brief after being directed to do so by the court.

Shelby County lawyer Curtis Douglas Johnson received a public censure from the Tennessee Supreme Court on April 24. The court found that Johnson knowingly failed to file fee disclosures required by the federal bankruptcy court. The Supreme Court also found that Johnson failed to promptly notify his client that he had received and accepted a settlement offer in a wrongful eviction case, and later failed to notify his client that he had received the settlement funds. Johnson then distributed funds held in trust for a different client to the client before her settlement check was deposited and cleared. His actions were found to violate Rules of Professional Conduct 1.4, 1.15(a) and (d) and 3.4(c).

Shelby County lawyer Marti Lee Kaufman received a public censure from the Tennessee Supreme Court on April 25. The court found that Kaufman violated Rules of Professional Conduct 1.3, 1.4, 3.2 and 8.4 while handling two car accident cases and one civil fraud matter. In the first case, Kaufman delayed 17 months in filing a lawsuit against the driver of the other car involved in the accident and then failed to properly serve the defendant. In the second case, Kaufman took no action for 17 months, and then took no further action after filing a complaint. In the third matter, Kaufman was hired to represent a client in a civil fraud matter but failed to take action for 30 months and ultimately refunded the client’s retainer.

Shelby County lawyer Samuel John Muldavin has received a public censure from the Tennessee Supreme Court. In representing two clients in defense of a detainer action, the court found that Muldavin failed to communicate adequately with clients, had no prior experience handling residential landlord tenant matters and did not complete any research of applicable law or otherwise take any action to prepare for trial. He also agreed to the scheduling of trial for calculation of money damages, fees and costs, despite the inadequacy of service of process. His actions were determined to violate Rules of Professional Conduct 1.1, 1.2(a), 1.3, 1.4, 1.5(b) and 3.3(a)(1).

Sevier County lawyer Tommy Joe Norton received a public censure from the Tennessee Supreme Court on April 15. The court found that Norton violated Rules of Professional Conduct 1.3, 1.4, 3.2, 3.4 and 8.4(d) while representing four clients. During this time, Norton closed his office and changed his phone number but did not inform clients of the changes, leaving them no way to contact him. The court also found that Norton failed to maintain communication with and diligently represent clients. Additionally, in one case, Norton failed to appear in court and incorrectly advised his client not to appear. In a second case he asked for multiple continuances, which delayed the proceedings. And in another case, he essentially abandoned his client and failed to show up in court.

Shelby County lawyer Robert Andrew Pope received a public censure from the Tennessee Supreme Court on April 16. The court found that Pope violated Rule of Professional Conduct 8.1(b) when he failed to disclose his termination from the Tennessee Department of Corrections while his bar admission application was pending.

On Feb. 6, the Supreme Court of Tennessee released an opinion affirming in part, and reversing in part, the decision of the Sullivan County Chancery Court imposing a public censure on Sullivan County Lawyer, Frank L. Slaughter Jr., pursuant to Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 9, Section 12.4. The Supreme Court affirmed the findings of the disciplinary hearing panel that Slaughter improperly disclosed confidential information about a juvenile client to third parties without the client’s informed consent in violation of Tennessee Rule of Professional Conduct 1.6(a). The court reversed the finding that Slaughter violated Rule of Professional Conduct 4.4(a)(1).

Administrative Suspensions

Notice of attorneys suspended for, and reinstated from, administrative violations – including failure to pay the Board of Professional Responsibility licensing and inactive fees, file the required IOLTA report, comply with continuing legal education requirements, and pay the Tennessee professional privilege tax – is on the TBA website at www.tba.org/administrative_suspensions.

TENNESSEE LAWYERS’ FUND FOR CLIENT PROTECTION

The Tennessee Lawyers’ Fund for Client Protection was established by the Tennessee Supreme Court to reimburse individuals for losses caused by dishonest conduct by attorneys. The fund is operated by a board, which meets quarterly to consider claims. In September 2022, the Tennessee Supreme Court amended Rule 25 to require the fund to notify the Tennessee Bar Association of claims paid. News releases also are posted online at tlfcp.tn.gov/news.

The board approved two claims at its April 11 meeting: one against Madison County attorney Angela Joy Hopson in the amount of $2,022 and one against Knox County lawyer Douglas A. Trant in the amount of $7,500. It also directed both to reimburse the fund for the expenses.