The Illinois Supreme Court has announced the filing of disciplinary orders involving a number of licensed lawyers. Sanctions were imposed because the lawyers engaged in professional misconduct by violating state ethics law. More information on each case is available at the
ARDC website.
DISBARRED
- John Lansing Isaac, Littleton, Colo.
Mr. Isaac, who was licensed in 1973, was disbarred on consent. He neglected several patent applications, made misrepresentations to clients and to the United States Patent and Trademark Office, and engaged in the unauthorized practice of law.
- Gerald John Jansen, Santa Ana, Calif.
Mr. Jansen, who was licensed in 2005, was disbarred on consent. Prior to his admission to practice law in Illinois, he engaged in the unauthorized practice of law when he and a California lawyer opened a law office in Chicago and proceeded to represent about 100 clients with cases before the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission.
- Gary Lynn Kaplan, San Anselmo, Calif.
Mr. Kaplan, who was licensed in 1972, was disbarred on consent. He represented Pepperdine University in collecting funds on delinquent accounts receivable. He collected delinquent funds and deposited those funds into his client trust account, but he did not notify Pepperdine that he had received the funds nor did he remit any portion of the proceeds to the school. Without Pepperdine’s authorization, he used at least $39,774.49 of the funds for his own business or personal purposes.
Mr. Kavvadias, who was licensed in 1984, was disbarred on consent for failing to comply with a prior order of lawyer discipline. He also neglected client matters, engaged in conduct involving misrepresentation, failed to promptly return unearned fees and engaged in the unauthorized practice in a driver’s license reinstatement matter.
- Tom George Kontos, La Jolla, Calif.
Mr. Kontos, who was licensed in 1966, was disbarred on consent. He pled guilty of conspiring to obstruct a federal investigation into money laundering and drug trafficking.
Mr. Nemoy, who was licensed in 1978, was disbarred on consent. He misappropriated a total of $165,499.76 from fifteen different clients.
- Michael Nicholas Skoubis, Chicago
Mr. Skoubis, who was licensed in 1985, was disbarred. He neglected nine different client matters, failed to refund unearned fees to clients, and did not cooperate with the ARDC investigation. He failed to appear at his own disciplinary hearing. He was suspended on an interim basis on November 1, 2010.
Mr. Tuzzolino, who was licensed in Illinois in 1991, was disbarred on consent. He neglected several client matters, misrepresented the status of cases to his clients, and delivered $9,000 in NSF checks to his office landlord.
SUSPENDED
- Stephan Walter Addison, Madison, Wis.
Mr. Addison, who was licensed in 2004, was suspended for 60 days. He was convicted in the Circuit Court of Green Lake County, Wisconsin, of felony second degree reckless endangerment and two counts of misdemeanor sexual gratification in public after engaging in sexual activity with a woman on the hood of an automobile in a public area. He was sentenced to three years of probation, thirty days in jail, and he was ordered to perform 500 hours of community service work. The suspension is effective on December 3, 2010.
- Heather Anne Burns, Indianapolis, Ind.
Ms. Burns, who was licensed in 1995, was suspended for three months and ordered to attend the program offered by the Illinois Institute of Professional Responsibility. She engaged in a conflict of interest when she accepted $90,000 in gifts from an elderly client. The suspension is effective on December 3, 2010.
Mr. Butler, who was licensed in Illinois in 2004, was suspended for 30 days. He was convicted in the Circuit Court of Green Lake County, Wisconsin, of felony second degree reckless endangerment, after engaging in sexual activity with a woman on the hood of an automobile in a public area. He was sentenced to three years probation, a term of one year and six-months confinement, stayed in full, and he was ordered to complete 300 hours of community service. The suspension is effective on December 3, 2010.
- James Merle Childs, Jr., Chicago
Mr. Childs, who was licensed in 1978, was suspended for one year and until he makes certain restitution. He engaged in improper business transactions with two clients when he solicited the clients to invest in two companies in which he had an interest. The suspension is effective on December 3, 2010.
- Gerald Michael Dunne, St. Louis, Mo.
Mr. Dunne was licensed in Missouri in 1979 and in Illinois in 1980. He was suspended indefinitely in Missouri with the provision that no application for reinstatement could be filed there within six months of May 13, 2010. A jury in a civil case found him liable for fraud when he entered into a stock purchase agreement, stock pledge agreement, and employment, consulting, and non-compete agreements to purchase an interest in a business. The Illinois Supreme Court imposed reciprocal discipline and suspended him until he is reinstated in Missouri. The suspension is effective on December 3, 2010.
- Garry Alonzo Payton, Algonquin
Mr. Payton, who was licensed in 1987, was suspended for 45 days and until he pays certain restitution. He was also ordered to successfully complete a record-keeping and office management course. He failed to expedite litigation on behalf of a client in a civil rights matter. As a result of Mr. Payton’s delays, the client was ordered to pay $9,055.14 in sanctions. The suspension is effective on December 3, 2010.
- Victor Rabinowitz, Sherman Oaks, Calif.
Mr. Rabinowitz was licensed in Illinois in 1984 and in Colorado in 1992. He was suspended for one year and one day in Colorado for misconduct after he was convicted for using and driving under the influence of cocaine and causing injury to another person. He subsequently violated the terms of his criminal probation by using cocaine and driving an automobile on a suspended license. The Illinois Supreme Court imposed reciprocal discipline and suspended him for one year and one day and until he is reinstated in Colorado. The suspension is effective on December 3, 2010.
- Frederick Robert Redell, Lockport
Mr. Redell, who was licensed in Illinois in 1984, was suspended for two years and until further order of the Court. He failed to maintain client funds in a trust account, converted client funds, neglected a client matter, failed to refund unearned fees, did not respond to requests for information about the status of his clients’ legal matters, failed to enter into a written contingent fee agreement in a personal injury matter and shoplifted a can of sardines, some turkey deli slices and a light bulb from a grocery store.
- Edward Francis Ryan, Burr Ridge
Mr. Ryan, who was licensed in 1968, was suspended for 90 days. While working at a law firm, he shifted time that he and other attorneys recorded on behalf of a client to other timekeepers, so that the bills that were sent to the client did not show the full extent of the time he had spent on the client's case. He later filed copies of those bills with a court in support of a request for fees. The suspension is effective on December 3, 2010.
