Joshua Tree, CA 92252
16 October 2008 | Disbarred (15 years, 6 months ago) Disbarment 05-O-04605 |
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1 July 2008 | Not eligible to practice law in CA (15 years, 10 months ago) Suspended, failed to pay fees |
13 April 2008 | Not eligible to practice law in CA (16 years ago) Ordered inactive 05-O-04605 |
5 January 2008 | Not eligible to practice law in CA (16 years, 3 months ago) Ordered inactive 05-O-04605 |
9 July 2007 | Disciplinary charges filed in State Bar Court 05-O-04605 (16 years, 9 months ago) |
24 September 1996 | Admitted to the State Bar of California (27 years, 7 months ago) |
October 10, 2008 STEPHEN RONALD DIAMOND [#183617], 61, of Joshua Tree was disbarred Oct. 10, 2008, and was ordered to comply with rule 9.20. In a default proceeding, Diamond was charged with 28 counts of misconduct, including forming a partnership with a non-lawyer whom he assisted in the unauthorized practice of law, failing to notify clients of receipt of settlement funds, maintain client funds in a trust account, communicate with clients and return client files, and he committed acts of moral turpitude involving at least $182,000 in client funds and lent his name to be used by a non-lawyer.In 2004, Jae Bum Kim, a non-lawyer, took over the lease of an attorney for whom he had worked as the office manager. He hired at least five case managers and eventually entered into an agreement with Diamond to form a personal injury law practice. Kim and his staff signed up clients, worked on their files, settled cases, endorsed and deposited settlement checks into Diamond’s client trust account and made withdrawals from the account.More than 200 matters were settled over the course of a year, when Diamond worked part time in the office. Kim paid him approximately $5,000 a month in cash. During that year, more than $1.33 million was deposited and withdrawn from Diamond’s client trust account. The money was withdrawn in the form of checks that were either negotiated at a check cashing service or deposited into the general account. |