Peter Kenneth Owens was admitted to the California Bar 23rd December 1983, but has since been disbarred. Peter graduated from U of San Francisco SOL.

Lawyer Information

NamePeter Kenneth Owens
First Admitted23 December 1983 (41 years, 6 months ago)
StatusDisbarred
Bar Number112215

Contact

Phone Number800-575-5615
Fax Number888-575-7111

Schools

Law SchoolU of San Francisco SOL (San Francisco CA)
Undergraduate SchoolUniversity of California San Diego (La Jolla CA)

Address

Current Address1250 Oakmead Pky #210
Sunnyvale, CA 94086
Map

History

17 April 2002Disbarred (23 years, 2 months ago)
Disbarment 01-N-01547
27 October 2001Not eligible to practice law in CA (23 years, 7 months ago)
Ordered inactive 01-N-01547
30 September 2001Not eligible to practice law in CA (23 years, 8 months ago)
Ordered inactive 01-N-01547
16 July 2001Not eligible to practice law in CA (23 years, 11 months ago)
Ordered inactive 01-N-01547
23 May 2001Disciplinary charges filed in State Bar Court 01-N-01547 (24 years, 1 month ago)
11 March 2001Not eligible to practice law in CA (24 years, 3 months ago)
Discipline w/actual suspension 97-O-15241
2 February 2000Disciplinary charges filed in State Bar Court 98-O-01727 (25 years, 4 months ago)
1 February 2000Active (25 years, 4 months ago)
30 January 2000Not eligible to practice law in CA (25 years, 4 months ago)
Ordered inactive 97-O-15241
30 November 1999Disciplinary charges filed in State Bar Court 97-O-15241 (25 years, 6 months ago)
22 September 1999Disciplinary charges filed in State Bar Court 99-H-10266 (25 years, 9 months ago)
9 August 1996Private reproval, public disclosure 94-O-18241 (28 years, 10 months ago)
13 March 1996Disciplinary charges filed in State Bar Court 94-O-18241 (29 years, 3 months ago)
23 December 1983Admitted to the State Bar of California (41 years, 6 months ago)

Discipline Summaries

April 17, 2002

PETER KENNETH OWENS [112215], 45, of Sunnyvale was disbarred April 17, 2002, and ordered to comply with rule 955.

Owens did not meet a requirement that he comply with rule 955 as part of a 2001 disciplinary order.

The underlying discipline was the result of his misconduct in 17 client matters and three non-client matters and included failure to refund unearned fees, communicate with a client, return client files, deposit client funds in a trust account, pay court-ordered sanctions or report them to the bar, and 17 instances of failing to perform legal services competently.

Owens was privately reproved in 1996 for failing to promptly return client files or maintain complete records of client funds.

He defaulted in the disbarment proceedings.

March 11, 2001

PETER KENNETH OWENS [#112215], 44, of Sunnyvale was suspended for three years, stayed, placed on three years of probation with an actual two-year suspension and was ordered to make restitution, prove his rehabilitation, take the MPRE and comply with rule 955. The order took effect March 11, 2001.

Owens stipulated to 33 counts of misconduct in 15 consolidated cases.

Numerous clients hired Owens and paid advance fees, but he did not do the work. In some cases, he also did not communicate with his clients, return the advance fees or release their files when asked.

A client who had paid Owens $1,000 to handle her divorce took the matter to fee arbitration when he refused to return her fee or her file. The arbitrator awarded the client $1,050, but Owens never paid. He also failed to pay arbitration awards of $435 and $1,575 in two other cases.

In a bankruptcy matter, the judge ordered Owens to pay $30,000 to the bankruptcy trustee, who asserted that money was attorney fees which had not been properly disclosed. Owens did not pay the money.

He also mishandled his client trust account, issuing five checks to pay non-client-related expenses. During a six-month period in 1996-97, Owens issued 50 checks for a total of $38,000, representing the withdrawal of earned attorney fees from the trust account. However, the fees were withdrawn at times unrelated to when they were earned, a violation of the Rules of Professional Conduct.

Owens was privately reproved in 1996, but did not comply with the conditions attached to the order: he did not file two quarterly probation reports or make restitution.