REINSTATED

• Davidson County lawyer Emily Claire Foster
• Michigan lawyer Brian Robert Leibrand
• Maryland lawyer Mohammad Ali Syed
• Montgomery County lawyer Edward Kendall White

DISABILITY INACTIVE

The following lawyer(s) 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.

• Davidson County lawyer Alex Fletcher Thompson

DISCIPLINARY
Disbarred

The Tennessee Supreme Court disbarred Montgomery County lawyer Joel David Ragland from the practice of law on Oct. 8, 2025. The court reports that Ragland consented to the action because he could not successfully defend himself against disciplinary charges. The court found that he misappropriated funds by writing unauthorized checks against his firm’s trust account in violation of Rule of Professional Conduct 8.4.

Suspended

The Tennessee Supreme Court suspended Jeremy Ryan Durham from the practice of law on Nov. 14, 2025, after he was convicted of felony reckless endangerment, a serious crime as defined by Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 9, Section 2. Durham also was convicted of four non-serious crimes: one count of driving under the influence, one count of driving under the influence per se, one count of resisting arrest, and one count of possession of drug paraphernalia. The court referred the case to the Board of Professional Responsibility for a determination of final discipline to be imposed.

The Tennessee Supreme Court on Nov. 21, 2025, suspended Maury County lawyer James Michael Marshall from the practice of law for five years, with two years to be served on active suspension and the remainder on probation. The court found that while representing a client, Marshall submitted a factually inaccurate pleading, then failed to correct the error and failed to reasonably communicate with his client regarding the error. Marshall entered a conditional guilty plea and acknowledged his conduct violated Tennessee Rules of Professional Conduct, 1.1, 1.3, 1.4, 3.2, 8.1(b) and 8.4(a).

On Nov. 21, 2025, the Tennessee Supreme Court suspended Davidson County lawyer Robert Joseph Turner from the practice of law for one year, with 30 days to be served on active suspension and the remainder on probation subject to Turner engaging a practice monitor. Turner was retained to represent a client in a civil matter. During the pending litigation, at least five separate associates employed by Turner were assigned to handle the litigation, although he remained counsel of record. Over a four year period, Turner, or an associate assigned to the matter who Turner was supervising, failed to appear for hearings on multiple occasions, missed multiple deadlines and failed to comply with orders to contact the court. In dismissing the matter, the trial court cited Turner’s failure to properly represent his client and comply with court orders. Turner agreed to a conditional guilty plea acknowledging his conduct violated Tennessee Rules of Professional 1.3 and 5.1.

Censured

Shelby County lawyer Julie Byrd Ashworth was censured by the Tennessee Supreme Court on Oct. 20, 2025. The court took the action after determining that Ashworth violated Rules of Professional Conduct 1.6 and 3.5(b) when making comments during mediation and before a judge. Ashworth represented a wife in a divorce in which it was alleged that the wife had engaged in extramarital affairs. At an informal mediation and without the client’s permission, Ashworth told opposing counsel that she was aware that her client had been seen with another man. At a subsequent hearing, without opposing counsel being present, Ashworth responded to questions from the judge about her client’s alleged romantic relationship.

On Nov. 26, 2025, the Tennessee Supreme Court imposed censures on Shelby County lawyers John Michael Bailey and Mark Anthony Lambert, both with the law firm of John Michael Bailey Injury Lawyers. The court found that the law firm was hired by a client for a personal injury matter. Lambert filed a complaint in federal court and included his law partner’s name when Bailey was not admitted to practice in that court. Neither Bailey nor Lambert filed a motion for pro hac vice admission and neither attended the initial case management conference or responded to a show cause order why the matter should not be dismissed. Their actions were determined to violate Rules of Professional Conduct 1.3, 3.2, 3.4 and 8.4(d).

On Sept. 5, 2025, the Tennessee Supreme Court suspended Mitchell Ray Miller, who now works in Williamson County, from the practice of law for two years with four months to be served on active suspension and the remainder on probation with conditions, including engaging a practice monitor and obtaining additional continuing legal education. The court found that in seven separate matters, Miller accepted payment for attorney fees but then either failed to perform the work for which he was retained, failed to appear at scheduled hearings, failed to reasonably communicate with clients or unreasonably delayed matters through a pattern of neglect, resulting in actual or potential harm to multiple clients. Additionally, Miller on repeated occasions failed to respond to BPR inquiries in a timely manner; however, he did ultimately refund all unearned attorney fees. Miller agreed to a conditional guilty plea acknowledging his conduct violated Tennessee Rules of Professional Conduct 1.3, 1.4, 1.16, 3.2, 8.1 and 8.4(d).

Roane County lawyer Eric John Montierth received a public censure from the Tennessee Supreme Court on Nov. 4, 2025. A client hired Montierth to file two types of immigration petitions for both her parents and her husband. The client signed a written fee agreement and paid a total of $6,500 in nonrefundable fees. Three months later, Montierth closed his immigration practice but did not notify his client. The court also found that Montierth did no work on behalf of the client, and failed to respond to a disciplinary complaint. The court determined that Montierth violated Rules of Professional Conduct 1.16, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5 and 8.1 and ordered him to make restitution in the amount of $6,500 to the client within 120 days.

Rutherford County lawyer Mark Stephen Moore received a public censure from the Tennessee Supreme Court on Nov. 21, 2025. The court found that Moore entered the area of the Rutherford County Probate Court containing probate files and, without permission or authority from the clerk or court, removed one file and a portion of a second file. While the file was in his possession, he also placed two documents in the file not properly filed with the court. When the clerk contacted him later the same day to inquire about the removed file and documents, Moore initially denied his conduct. The following day, he admitted his conduct and returned all probate files or related documents in his possession. Neither removal of the files nor adding material to the files had any impact on any probate proceedings. Moore agreed to a conditional guilty plea acknowledging his conduct violated Rules of Professional Conduct 4.1 and 8.4(c).

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. |||