Capistrano Beach, CA 92624-1666
14 October 2021 | Disbarred (3 years, 6 months ago) Disbarment 20-O-30365 |
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28 May 2021 | Not eligible to practice law in CA (3 years, 11 months ago) Ordered inactive 20-O-30365 |
2 September 2020 | Disciplinary charges filed in State Bar Court 20-O-30559 (4 years, 8 months ago) |
16 June 2020 | Disciplinary charges filed in State Bar Court 20-O-30365 (4 years, 10 months ago) |
17 January 2008 | Active (17 years, 3 months ago) |
17 December 2006 | Not eligible to practice law in CA (18 years, 4 months ago) Discipline w/actual suspension 06-PM-12647 |
18 September 2006 | Not eligible to practice law in CA (18 years, 7 months ago) Suspended, failed to pay fees |
9 June 2006 | Not eligible to practice law in CA (18 years, 11 months ago) Discipline w/actual suspension 03-O-00782 |
6 January 2005 | Disciplinary charges filed in State Bar Court 03-O-00782 (20 years, 4 months ago) |
11 August 2004 | Active (20 years, 8 months ago) |
11 February 2004 | Not eligible to practice law in CA (21 years, 2 months ago) Discipline w/actual suspension 02-O-11346 |
7 March 2003 | Disciplinary charges filed in State Bar Court 02-O-13411 (22 years, 2 months ago) |
31 January 2003 | Disciplinary charges filed in State Bar Court 02-O-15143 (22 years, 3 months ago) |
22 November 2002 | Disciplinary charges filed in State Bar Court 02-O-11346 (22 years, 5 months ago) |
12 September 2002 | Disciplinary charges filed in State Bar Court 02-O-12805 (22 years, 7 months ago) |
21 December 2000 | Active (24 years, 4 months ago) |
22 October 2000 | Not eligible to practice law in CA (24 years, 6 months ago) Discipline w/actual suspension 96-O-07376 |
21 October 1999 | Disciplinary charges filed in State Bar Court 96-O-07376 (25 years, 6 months ago) |
14 December 1998 | Active (26 years, 4 months ago) |
14 November 1998 | Not eligible to practice law in CA (26 years, 5 months ago) Discipline w/actual suspension 95-O-11810 |
31 October 1996 | Disciplinary charges filed in State Bar Court 95-O-17946 (28 years, 6 months ago) |
19 March 1996 | Disciplinary charges filed in State Bar Court 95-O-11810 (29 years, 1 month ago) |
11 September 1995 | Active (29 years, 8 months ago) |
12 August 1995 | Not eligible to practice law in CA (29 years, 9 months ago) Discipline w/actual suspension 93-O-10364 |
30 July 1990 | Admitted to the State Bar of California (34 years, 9 months ago) |
December 17, 2006 TIMOTHY LEE McCANDLESS [#147715], 49, of Carson City, Nev. McCandless' probation was revoked, the previous stay of suspension was lifted and he was suspended for 90 days and ordered to comply with rule 955. The order took effect Dec. 17, 2006. McCandless failed to comply with probation conditions attached to a 2004 disciplinary order — he filed nine probation reports late and did not keep his contact information current with the bar. The underlying discipline was imposed when McCandless stipulated to eight counts of misconduct in three matters, including failure to perform legal services competently, respond to client inquiries or promptly release client files, and he improperly withdrew from representation. He also has been disciplined four other times. In mitigation, he updated his address and submitted three quarterly probation reports.June 9, 2006 TIMOTHY LEE McCANDLESS [#147715], 48, of Carson City, Nev. was suspended for three years, stayed, actually suspended for six months and was ordered to comply with rule 955. The order took effect June 9, 2006. McCandless stipulated to two counts of misconduct in a personal injury matter in which he represented the defendants. Although he filed a timely answer on his clients’ behalf, he was suspended from practice a short time later and did not inform his clients. He contends he arranged for another attorney to supervise his cases while suspended, but when he returned to work two months later, he learned that interrogatories had not been responded to.He contends he prepared responses, but the documents were lost in an office flood.He did not respond to a motion to compel his clients to respond to interrogatories or to a motion for terminating sanctions.The clients fired him, filed a malpractice action against him and won a stipulated judgment.McCandless stipulated that he failed to perform legal services competently or keep his clients informed of developments in their case.He has been disciplined four times previously.February 11, 2004 TIMOTHY LEE McCANDLESS [#147715], 46, of Apple Valley was suspended for 36 months, stayed, placed on 60 months of probation with an actual six-month suspension and was ordered to take the MPRE within one year and comply with rule 955. The order took effect Feb. 11, 2004. McCandless stipulated to eight counts of misconduct in three matters, including failure to perform legal services competently, respond to client inquiries or promptly release client files, and he improperly withdrew from representation. He received the cases through Centro Legal Hispano, where he had office space, and he relied on staff to do work he should have done. In a personal injury claim, he never filed a lawsuit for his client despite knowing about the statute of limitations, he never provided the insurance carrier with his client’s medical records or bills, and never returned his client’s phone calls or otherwise responded to requests for information. He didn’t tell the client the statute of limitations had expired. He did not respond to many requests by the insurance company for information and didn’t properly supervise his litigation coordinator to insure that the case was handled correctly.In the second matter, McCandless was hired to represent a client in a probate case concerning real estate left to the client by her mother. He misrepresented to the client he was in the process of opening probate and was in touch with San Bernardino County. He never filed any pleadings or performed any work for the client.When the client hired a new lawyer, McCandless did not promptly provide her file.In the third matter, also a personal injury case, the insurance company closed its file on the claim because McCandless never responded to five letters seeking information or documents. He also did not respond to his client’s phone messages.McCandless previously was disciplined in 1995, 1998 and 2000. He agreed to sever his ties with Centro Legal.October 22, 2000 TIMOTHY L. McCANDLESS [#147715], 43, of Los Angeles was suspended for two years, stayed, and placed on two years of probation with an actual 60-day suspension. If the actual suspension exceeds two years, he must prove his rehabilitation. If it exceeds 90 days, he must comply with rule 955. The order took effect Oct. 22, 2000. McCandless stipulated to five counts of misconduct.In a civil case, he was ordered by the court to pay $939 in attorney’s fees and a $1,000 sanction within 45 days, but he failed to do so.He collected an illegal fee in a bankruptcy case when the bankruptcy trustee overpaid his legal fees. When his clients requested but did not receive a refund, the court found McCandless received fees in excess of what it had authorized and that he failed to disclose the excess payment as required by law. He was ordered to refund excess fees.In two other matters, he stipulated that he failed to adequately supervise non-lawyer staff members. One led a caller to believe he was an attorney and another improperly took money from a client for legal services he was not authorized to perform.McCandless also did not comply with a requirement that he complete ethics school as part of a 1998 discipline imposed because of his misconduct in a bankruptcy matter.He also was disciplined in 1995 for misconduct in three client matters, including failure to maintain client funds in a trust account, promptly pay a medical lien or report $2,000 in sanctions resulting from a bankruptcy case. |