Raymond Andrew Mills was admitted to the California Bar 13th June 1990, but has since been disbarred. Raymond graduated from McGeorge SOL University of the Pacific.

Lawyer Information

NameRaymond Andrew Mills
First Admitted13 June 1990 (33 years, 9 months ago)
StatusDisbarred
Bar Number146416

Contact

Phone Number916-721-0770

School

Law SchoolMcGeorge SOL University of the Pacific (CA)

Address

Current Address8225 Falcon View Dr
Antelope, CA 95843
Map

History

8 June 2003Disbarred (20 years, 9 months ago)
Disbarment 99-O-12386
5 December 2002Not eligible to practice law in CA (21 years, 3 months ago)
Ordered inactive 99-O-12386
29 September 2002Not eligible to practice law in CA (21 years, 6 months ago)
Ordered Inactive/Fee Arb/B&P 6203
4 September 2002Not eligible to practice law in CA (21 years, 7 months ago)
Suspended, failed to pay fees
19 August 2002Not eligible to practice law in CA (21 years, 7 months ago)
Suspended/Child & Fam Supp noncompliance
5 August 2002Not eligible to practice law in CA (21 years, 8 months ago)
Ordered inactive 99-O-12386
22 January 2002Disciplinary charges filed in State Bar Court 00-O-12731 (22 years, 2 months ago)
11 December 2001Disciplinary charges filed in State Bar Court 99-O-12386 (22 years, 3 months ago)
18 September 2001Active (22 years, 6 months ago)
1 September 2001Not eligible to practice law in CA (22 years, 7 months ago)
Suspended, failed to pay fees
24 August 2001Disciplinary charges filed in State Bar Court 99-O-13692 (22 years, 7 months ago)
13 June 1990Admitted to the State Bar of California (33 years, 9 months ago)

Discipline Summaries

June 8, 2003

RAYMOND ANDREW MILLS [#146416], 54, of Antelope was disbarred June 8, 2003, and was ordered to comply with rule 955.

In a default proceeding, the State Bar Court found that Mills committed multiple acts of misconduct in 11 consolidated cases. Although he had no record of discipline in his eight years of practice, the court found that he "repeatedly demonstrated an unwillingness to comply with the professional obligations imposed on California attorneys. . . . He has offered no explanation for his behavior."

He repeatedly failed to follow through on his clients' cases and lost their causes of action, resulting in significant harm, the court said. The misconduct included failure to perform legal services with competence, communicate with clients, promptly refund unearned fees, account for client funds, maintain client funds in trust, maintain client confidences, return client files or cooperate with the bar's investigation, and he committed acts of moral turpitude and improperly withdrew from employment.

Mills worked for an attorney who lost his license; he assumed representation of some of the attorney's clients, in some instances under the same fee agreement.

In one case, for example, he took over the discrimination case of a plaintiff who had paid the law firm $4,500. The client and Mills agreed that he would not need to pay any additional retainer fees and Mills filed the suit.

However, he did not serve the complaint on the defendants. In addition, it was filed in the wrong county and contained several factual errors. The client asked Mills to correct the errors, but he refused unless the client paid the filing fees for an amended complaint.

The client demanded a return of his retainer. Within a week, Mills advised the client he would not file the amended complaint or conduct discovery unless the client paid the $150 filing fee and $1,000 toward discovery. Mills eventually filed an amended complaint, but the signature page was dated six months earlier.

He never served the defendants.

The client sued Mills and the law firm in small claims court, winning a judgment of $4,532. Mills acknowledged the judgment in a letter to the client, saying he handled the case "as a courtesy" because the original attorney was suspended from practice. He told the client if he wanted Mills to continue to represent him, he had to provide a $5,000 retainer with a $1,000 additional payment as an advancement of costs and a $125 "maintenance fee" per month. In the alternative, he could sign an acknowledgment of satisfaction of the small claims judgment, or he could sign a substitution of attorney form.

Mills never refunded the original retainer or paid the small claims judgment.

In an employment case, the client paid Mills $4,500 in advanced fees and agreed to pay advanced costs and a $125 monthly file maintenance fee. The client kept Mills abreast of incidents at his workplace, but when he asked if he was responding appropriately, Mills did not respond. As a result, the monthly "maintenance" payments were sporadic.

When the client informed Mills of what he believed to be further discriminatory action, he enclosed a check with his letter. Two months later, he received a letter from Mills telling him his account was $750 in arrears and his office would do no further work on the case. The client responded by expressing dissatisfaction with Mill's work but gave him another check.

A short time latter, Mills' paralegal (the suspended attorney) told the client the deadline for filing his complaint was imminent but he couldn't find the file. By the time the complaint was filed, the client had paid Mills $6,275. Mills did not respond to his request for an accounting. The client fired Mills and asked for a refund. He never responded and did not refund the money.