Mark Leonardo

February 21, 2015

MARK JOSEPH LEONARDO [#125061], 55, of Santa Clarita, was suspended from the practice of law for 60 days and ordered to take the MPRE. He was also placed on three years’ probation and faces a two-year suspension if he does not comply with the terms of his disciplinary probation. The order took effect Feb. 21, 2015. Leonardo stipulated to failing to perform legal services with competence, accepting and continuing representation of a client without providing written disclosure to the client that he had a legal and personal relationship with a party and breaching his fiduciary duty to a client. In 2010, Leonardo was hired to represent a woman in her toxic mold case. By early 2012, the client needed more money to fund the cost of the litigation. Knowing this, Leonardo introduced her to an acquaintance and former client who claimed he would double her money if she’d loan him $15,000. Leonardo knew the man, Grover Nix, was both a felon and a disbarred lawyer, but did not inform the client and did not tell her of their personal relationship. Leonardo told her the transaction appeared to be safe because of the security Nix promised to provide. Nix never repaid the loan. The client later learned that a promissory note she signed only entitled her to $15,000 and that the stock certificate that was supposed to secure the transaction was not in Nix’s name. Nix’s son repaid her $4,000 of the money but the client was unable to liquidate the stocks. Leonardo agreed to repay her the remaining $11,000. In mitigation, Leonardo had no prior record of discipline, presented evidence of his good character and entered into a pretrial stipulation with the State Bar.