Chicago, IL 60622-5545
17 August 2002 | Active (22 years, 8 months ago) |
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17 August 2001 | Not eligible to practice law in CA (23 years, 8 months ago) Discipline w/actual suspension 95-J-14650 |
26 January 1998 | Disciplinary charges filed in State Bar Court 95-J-14650 (27 years, 3 months ago) |
23 June 1978 | Admitted to the State Bar of California (46 years, 10 months ago) |
August 17, 2001 NEIL KAUFFMAN [#81008], 52, of Chicago was suspended for two years, stayed, placed on probation for two years with a one-year actual suspension and was ordered to take the MPRE within one year and to comply with rule 955. The order took effect Aug. 17, 2001. Kauffman has no record of discipline in California, but he was disciplined in Illinois in 1995. He sought review of discipline imposed on him by the California bar that corresponds with the Illinois punishment but his matter was delayed by several years.The review department denied his request that the California discipline be retroactive, but reduced the hearing judge’s recommendation of an 18-month actual suspension to one year.Because Kauffman completed the terms of his Illinois discipline long ago, he argued that suspending him in California would effectively punish him twice for the same misconduct.He also noted he did not practice in California during the Illinois suspension, promptly reported the discipline, endured the bar’s delays and will have an increased malpractice insurance premium.At trial, the bar conceded the delay had occurred, but argued it was without prejudice. The hearing judge decided the actual suspension should not be retroactive.Kauffman’s misconduct involved three cases. In a 1984 client matter arising from an automobile accident, he settled the case without authority, forged the client’s signature on settlement papers, commingled settlement funds with personal funds and misappropriated the client’s $1,500 share of the settlement.The same year, he commingled another client’s funds with office funds and misappropriated them. It was also found that between June and November 1988, Kauffman deposited funds belonging to 78 clients in his office account. |