Washington Lawyer - July 2017 - 54

DISCIPLINARY SUMMARIES
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Disciplinary Actions Taken by the
District of Columbia Court of
Appeals
Original Matters
In re Tolly A. Kennon III. Bar No.
466643. April 13, 2017. The D.C.
Court of Appeals reinstated Kennon.
In re Antoine I. Mann. Bar No.
433378. April 13, 2017. The D.C.
Court of Appeals reinstated Mann.
In re David H. Safavian. Bar No.
448540. April 13, 2017. The D.C. Court
of Appeals reinstated Safavian.
In re Toan Q. Thai. Bar No. 439343.
April 13, 2017. The D.C. Court of
Appeals disbarred Thai, and as a
condition of reinstatement, Thai is
required to refund his legal fees to
three clients, with interest at the
legal rate. Thai repeatedly violated
numerous Rules of Professional
Conduct over a period of years.
Violations included failing to safeguard clients' funds and entrusted
funds; intentional misappropriation;
neglect of clients' cases; failure to
communicate with clients; failure to
follow clients' reasonable instructions; failure to return unearned
fees; unauthorized practice of law;
failure to respond to Disciplinary
Counsel's inquiries; and criminal
misconduct that reflects adversely
on Thai's honesty, trustworthiness,
and fitness. Rules 1.1(a), 1.1(b), 1.2(a),
1.3(a), 1.3(b)(1), 1.3(c), 1.4(a), 1.4(b),
1.5(b), 1.15(a), 1.16(d), 1.19(a), 3.3(a),
5.5(a), 8.1(b), 8.4(b), 8.4 (c), and 8.4(d).

Appeals imposed identical reciprocal discipline and indefinitely
suspended Jaffe, nunc pro tunc to
March 7, 2017, with reinstatement
conditioned on a showing of fitness.
Jaffe may file for reinstatement after
five years or after he is reinstated to
the practice of law in Maryland,
whichever occurs first.

Interim Suspensions Issued
by the District of Columbia Court
of Appeals
In re Mark H. Allenbaugh. Bar No.
471455. April 14, 2017. Allenbaugh
was suspended on an interim basis
based upon discipline imposed in
Maryland.

Informal Admonitions Issued by
the Office of Disciplinary Counsel
In re John David Hughes. Bar No.
392234. April 20, 2017. Disciplinary
Counsel issued Hughes an informal
admonition. While representing a
client in an immigration matter,
Hughes provided a retainer agreement that included provisions violating Rules 1.5(a) and 1.16(d), and
later, upon termination of the representation, provided a release that
violated Rules 1.8(g)(2) and 1.16(d).

tion - which Naegele chose not
to participate in - determined that
Naegele had only earned $8,500.
Based on the totality of the
California record, the Board on
Professional Responsibility could
not determine the amount of the
fee that had been unearned and,
accordingly, determined that a
lower sanction was warranted for
the unconscionable fee charged
in California.

306092. April 21, 2017. The Board on
Professional Responsibility issued
Battle a Board reprimand. While
representing a client in a disciplinary
matter, Battle revealed a former
client's secrets in a brief. Rule
1.6(a)(1).

In re Aroon R. Padharia. Bar No.
470038. April 7, 2017. The Board on
Professional Responsibility recommends that the D.C. Court of
Appeals suspend Padharia for six
months with reinstatement conditioned upon fitness. While working
on 30 separate Petitions for Review
filed with the United States Court of
Appeals for the Fourth Circuit in
immigration matters, Padharia failed
to follow the Fourth Circuit's orders
regarding briefing schedules, interfered with the administration of
justice, and failed to timely respond
to Disciplinary Counsel's inquiries.
Rules 3.4(c), 8.1(b), and 8.4(d).

In re Timothy D. Naegele. Bar No.
161448. April 26, 2017. In a reciprocal
matter from California, the Board on
Professional Responsibility recommends that the D.C. Court of
Appeals impose substantially
different reciprocal discipline and
order Disciplinary Counsel to issue
an informal admonition to Naegele.
Naegele was disbarred in California
by default. The California Hearing
Department found that, based on
the facts it deemed admitted,
Naegele charged an unconscionable fee of $735,481.25. A Los
Angeles County Bar Association
Dispute Resolution Services arbitra

The Office of Disciplinary Counsel
compiled the foregoing summaries
of disciplinary actions. Informal
Admonitions issued by Disciplinary
Counsel and Reports and
Recommendations issued by the
Board on Professional Responsibility
are posted at www.dcattorneydiscipline.org. Most Board recommendations as to discipline are not final until
considered by the Court. Court
opinions are printed in the Atlantic
Reporter and also are available online
for decisions issued since August 1998.
To obtain a copy of a recent slip
opinion, visit www.dccourts.gov/
internet/opinionlocator.jsf.

Disciplinary Actions Taken
by the Board on Professional
Responsibility
Original Matters

In re Sharon Styles Anderson. Bar
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In re Timothy J. Battle. Bar No.
No. 412158. April 14, 2017. Anderson

Reciprocal Matters
In re Sanford B. Jaffe. Bar No. 358433.
June 6, 2017. In a reciprocal matter
from Maryland, the D.C. Court of

was suspended on an interim basis
based upon discipline imposed in
Virginia.
In re Wayne R. Hartke. Bar No.
200378. April 14, 2017. Hartke was
suspended on an interim basis
based upon discipline imposed
in Virginia.
In re Randy McRae. Bar No. 430494.
April 26, 2017. McRae was suspended on an interim basis based
upon discipline imposed in the
United States District Court for the
District of Maryland.
In re Kevin Roy. Bar No. 976218. April
14, 2017. Roy was suspended on an
interim basis based upon discipline
imposed in Maryland.
In re Elena M. Tilly. Bar No. 502996.
April 14, 2017. Tilly was suspended
on an interim basis based upon
discipline imposed in Maryland.

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54 WASHINGTON LAWYER

* JULY 2017 *
http://www.dcattorneydiscipline.org http://www.dcattorneydiscipline.org http://www.dccourts.gov/internet/opinionlocator.jsf http://www.dccourts.gov/internet/opinionlocator.jsf http://www.dcbar.org
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Washington Lawyer - July 2017
