Newport Beach, CA 92660-1866
14 August 2020 | Disbarred (4 years, 10 months ago) Disbarment 19-O-30341 |
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29 February 2020 | Not eligible to practice law in CA (5 years, 3 months ago) Ordered inactive 19-O-30341 |
14 September 2019 | Not eligible to practice law in CA (5 years, 9 months ago) Ordered inactive 19-O-30341 |
17 July 2019 | Disciplinary charges filed in State Bar Court 19-O-30341 (5 years, 11 months ago) |
18 November 2015 | Not eligible to practice law in CA (9 years, 7 months ago) Discipline w/actual suspension 12-O-18034 |
30 January 2015 | Disciplinary charges filed in State Bar Court 14-O-02700 (10 years, 4 months ago) |
13 November 2013 | Disciplinary charges filed in State Bar Court 12-O-18034 (11 years, 7 months ago) |
28 September 2012 | Discipline, probation; no actual susp. 11-O-13310 (12 years, 8 months ago) |
6 June 1991 | Admitted to the State Bar of California (34 years ago) |
November 18, 2015 PETER SUK PARK [#152619], 57, of Newport Beach, was suspended from the practice of law for one year and ordered to take the MPRE, make restitution and comply with rule 9.20 of the California Rules of Court. He was also placed on two years’ probation and faces a two-year suspension if he does not comply with the terms of his disciplinary probation. The order took effect Nov. 18, 2015. Park engaged in misconduct in four matters. In one matter, he allowed an attorney who was on involuntary inactive status to work on a client’s case and hold himself out as entitled to practice law without informing the client of his status or provide notice to the State Bar that he was working for him. In another matter, he failed to file immigration petitions on behalf of a client and his family but told him that he had. The client fired him, demanding the return of his file and advanced fees, along with an accounting, but Park did not provide any of those things.Park also failed to inform a client that an immigration court had ordered the client’s removal, that he had filed a motion to reopen immigration proceedings and that motion had been denied. In addition, he held himself out as entitled to practice law when he wasn’t, filing an ex-parte application for reconsideration on behalf of a client.He was ordered to pay $40,000 plus interest in restitution.He had one prior record of discipline, a 2012 suspension for failing to properly supervise a suspended attorney and failing to notify the State Bar that he had employed a suspended attorney.September 28, 2012 PETER SUK PARK, 53, of Newport Beach was suspended for one year, stayed, placed on two years of probation and was ordered to take the MPRE. The order took effect Sept. 28, 2012. Park stipulated to two counts of misconduct after he substituted into a personal injury case in which he represented a woman who suffered a brain injury in a car accident. The substitution form bore the client’s purported signature, but she did not sign it, nor did Park. The client’s first attorney, John Wongoo Rhee, was suspended for misconduct and was hired by Park to work as a law clerk. Although Rhee was the primary contact with the client, he did not tell her he was suspended. Rhee advised Park the case was his and he would resume handling the matter when his suspension ended.Park did not properly supervise Rhee and the client fired Park when she learned about the situation. Park also did not conduct the necessary discovery or retain the necessary expert witnesses.He stipulated that he failed to perform legal services competently or inform the State Bar that he employed a disciplined attorney.In mitigation, Park had no prior discipline record, cooperated with the bar’s investigation and he was inexperienced in personal injury law and trusted Rhee, whom he considered to be a mentor. |