La Habra, CA 90631-6382
29 January 2011 | Disbarred (14 years, 4 months ago) Disbarment 08-O-13195 |
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27 August 2010 | Not eligible to practice law in CA (14 years, 9 months ago) Ordered inactive 08-O-13195 |
14 May 2010 | Not eligible to practice law in CA (15 years, 1 month ago) Ordered inactive 08-O-13195 |
8 March 2010 | Disciplinary charges filed in State Bar Court 08-O-13195 (15 years, 3 months ago) |
8 June 1992 | Admitted to the State Bar of California (33 years ago) |
January 29, 2011 GERARD LIONEL GARCIA-BARRON [#159092], 45, of La Habra was disbarred Jan. 29, 2011, and was ordered to make restitution and comply with rule 9.20 of the California Rules of Court. In a default proceeding, the State Bar Court found that Garcia-Barron committed 42 counts of misconduct in 14 matters. He repeatedly failed to perform legal services competently, refund unearned fees, communicate, return client files, avoid representing adverse interests or cooperate with the bar’s investigation, and he practiced law while suspended for failing to pay bar dues and misappropriated client funds, committing acts of moral turpitude. He represented several criminal defendants but did little work, and when they hired new lawyers he neither refunded unearned fees nor provided their files. One client’s mother paid an advance fee of $25,000 and although Garcia-Barron filed an appeal, he never filed the opening brief and the matter was dismissed by default. Clients who hired him to handle other issues – unpaid overtime wages, personal injuries, child and spousal support, real estate – complained he did little or no work and they were not able to contact him or get a refund of unearned fees. |