Stephen Robert Kilstofte was admitted to the California Bar 16th May 1978, but has since been disbarred. Stephen graduated from Southwestern University SOL.
Lawyer Information
| Name | Stephen Robert Kilstofte |
|---|---|
| First Admitted | 16 May 1978 (45 years, 11 months ago) |
| Status | Disbarred |
| Bar Number | 79493 |
Contact
| Phone Number | 562-733-3081 |
|---|---|
| Fax Number | 562-733-3082 |
Schools
| Law School | Southwestern University SOL (Los Angeles CA) |
|---|---|
| Undergraduate School | California St University Long Beach (CA) |
Address
| Current Address | 444 W Ocean Blvd Ste 800 Long Beach, CA 90802 |
|---|---|
| Map |
History
| 24 February 2019 | Disbarred (5 years, 2 months ago) Disbarment 16-O-16177 |
|---|---|
| 4 October 2018 | Not eligible to practice law in CA (5 years, 6 months ago) Ordered inactive 16-O-16177 |
| 3 July 2018 | Not eligible to practice law in CA (5 years, 9 months ago) Suspended, failed to pay fees |
| 6 April 2018 | Not eligible to practice law in CA (6 years ago) Ordered inactive 16-O-16177 |
| 18 January 2018 | Disciplinary charges filed in State Bar Court 16-O-16177 (6 years, 3 months ago) |
| 28 February 2009 | Discipline, probation; no actual susp. 98-O-03773 (15 years, 2 months ago) |
| 16 August 2004 | Active (19 years, 8 months ago) |
| 7 March 2004 | Not eligible to practice law in CA (20 years, 1 month ago) Ordered inactive 03-O-03100 |
| 31 January 2004 | Not eligible to practice law in CA (20 years, 3 months ago) Ordered inactive 98-O-03773 |
| 13 January 2004 | Disciplinary charges filed in State Bar Court 03-O-03100 (20 years, 3 months ago) |
| 5 December 2003 | Disciplinary charges filed in State Bar Court 98-O-03773 (20 years, 4 months ago) |
| 24 August 1996 | Public reproval with/duties 95-O-10817 (27 years, 8 months ago) |
| 16 May 1978 | Admitted to the State Bar of California (45 years, 11 months ago) |
Discipline Summaries
February 28, 2009 STEPHEN R. KILSTOFTE [#79493], 58, of Long Beach was suspended for one year, stayed, placed on three years of probation and was ordered to take the MPRE within one year. The order took effect Feb. 28, 2009. Kilstofte successfully completed the Alternative Discipline Program and the State Bar Court imposed the discipline he agreed to when he was accepted into the program. At the time of the misconduct, he was suffering from a mental health issue that directly caused his actions. He has participated in the Lawyer Assistance Program for lawyers with substance abuse or mental health issues since 2004.Kilstofte stipulated to 12 counts of misconduct in five matters.He did not report two court-ordered sanctions totaling more than $5,000 to the State Bar as required. The first was imposed in 1998 for filing a frivolous motion and the second the following year for opposing a motion to disqualify him as counsel.In a divorce case, Kilstofte did not file a formal response. Instead he worked with opposing counsel to reach a stipulation on child support, custody and visitation issues. That stipulation was filed with the court, but Kilstofte and the other lawyer could not reach agreement on other issues. The opposing counsel asked Kilstofte to file a formal response but he did not do so and his client’s default was entered.Although the default was set aside, Kilstofte did not complete the dissolution nor did he respond to his client’s status requests.Kilstofte filed a medical malpractice lawsuit for another client, but was unable to locate a suitable expert to testify. Although he decided to go forward with the case, he did not inform the client of problems with proving his claim. He ultimately asked that the case be dismissed without his client’s knowledge.Although Kilstofte said he could not pursue the case because he had another trial at the same time, he provided no proof of a scheduling conflict. He also said he refiled the case but it was dismissed due to a failure to file within the statute of limitations.In another family law matter, he provided no services of value to his client and did not refund his advance fee. He never substituted in to another case or filed any pleadings, although Kilstofte claims he performed some preliminary services.He stipulated that he failed to perform legal services competently, communicate with clients, refund unearned fees, notify the bar of sanctions or cooperate with bar investigations. |