Stephen Michael Tornay is an active member of the California Bar and was admitted 2nd June 1994. Stephen graduated from American COL.
Lawyer Information
| Name | Stephen Michael Tornay |
|---|---|
| First Admitted | 2 June 1994 (30 years, 11 months ago) |
| Status | Active |
| Bar Number | 170132 |
| Practice Area | Personal Injury |
Contact
| Current Email | [email protected] |
|---|---|
| Website | http://[email protected] |
| Phone Number | 714-835-7000 |
| Fax Number | 714-908-7600 |
School
| Law School | American COL (Brea CA) |
|---|
Address
| Current Address | 5 Hutton Centre Dr Ste 700 Santa Ana, CA 92707-8783 |
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| Map |
History
| 15 June 2002 | Discipline, probation; no actual susp. 99-O-12100 (22 years, 10 months ago) |
|---|---|
| 2 March 2001 | Disciplinary charges filed in State Bar Court 99-O-12100 (24 years, 2 months ago) |
| 2 June 1994 | Admitted to the State Bar of California (30 years, 11 months ago) |
Discipline Summaries
June 15, 2002 STEPHEN MICHAEL TORNAY [#170132], 45, of Orange was suspended for six months, stayed, placed on one year of probation and was ordered to take the MPRE within one year. The order took effect June 15, 2002. According to a stipulation Tornay reached with the bar, in 1998, Arizona attorney Robert Wolkin filed a civil complaint in Los Angeles (the Connor case) using Tornay's name as attorney of record without Tornay's knowledge or permission. Prior to filing the suit, Wolkin and insurance adjuster Stanley Pore agreed that Wolkin would file the Connor case and several other complaints using Tornay's name. They agreed Wolkin would take the California bar exam and once admitted, he would substitute in as counsel in the cases. He flunked the bar exam.Over a four-month period, Wolkin filed 14 lawsuits in addition to the Connor case.When Tornay was served by the court with notices of status conferences in the cases, he did not notify the court that he did not represent the plaintiffs. He contacted some, but not all, opposing counsel and tried to have some of the cases taken over by other attorneys.He also directed Wolkin to write to each plaintiff, using Tornay's name, telling them that Tornay did not represent them and they needed to find a new lawyer. In one matter, he wrote to a plaintiff and said that another lawyer used his name without his permission. He also kept one case, although he eventually turned it over to another lawyer.The court consolidated all the cases under the Connor matter and ultimately determined that the plaintiffs were not represented by Tornay or any other lawyer.Tornay stipulated that he failed to perform legal services competently.In mitigation, he has no prior record of discipline, no clients were harmed, he was remorseful about his conduct and he cooperated with the bar's investigation. |