Dennis M. Assuras was admitted to the California Bar 31st May 1979, but has since been disbarred. Dennis graduated from Western State University.
Lawyer Information
| Name | Dennis M. Assuras |
|---|---|
| First Admitted | 31 May 1979 (44 years, 11 months ago) |
| Status | Disbarred |
| Bar Number | 85874 |
Contact
| Phone Number | (909) 627-6164 |
|---|---|
| Fax Number | (909) 627-6167 |
Schools
| Law School | Western State University (CA) |
|---|---|
| Undergraduate School | University of Illinois (IL) |
Address
| Current Address | 12960 Central Ave Ste A Chino, CA 91710 |
|---|---|
| Map |
History
| 25 November 2015 | Disbarred (8 years, 4 months ago) |
|---|---|
| 18 February 2014 | Not Eligible To Practice Law (10 years, 2 months ago) |
| 14 February 2013 | Active (11 years, 2 months ago) |
| 2 January 2013 | Not Eligible To Practice Law (11 years, 3 months ago) |
| 31 May 1979 | Admitted to The State Bar of California (44 years, 11 months ago) |
Discipline Summaries
May 27, 2015 DENNIS M. ASSURAS [#85874], 78, of Chino, was suspended from the practice of law for two years and until he makes restitution. He was also ordered to comply with rule 9.20 of the California Rules of Court. In addition he was placed on four years’ probation and faces a three-year suspension if he does not comply with the terms of his disciplinary probation. The order took effect May 27, 2015. The State Bar Court found Assuras culpable of 18 counts of misconduct stemming from six client matters. Assuras was affiliated with Pro Legal Solutions, a company owned and operated by non-lawyers. Assuras’ name and “attorney at law†were on the front window to make it appear that Assuras was running the company. Assuras accepted four to six cases a month from Pro Legal Solutions. In January 2013, Assuras was suspended for misconduct in an earlier matter.In one of the recent matters, Assuras split fees with Pro Legal solutions, aided in the unauthorized practice of law by allowing non-attorneys to set fees and enter into retainer agreements with clients, made it appear as though he ran the company, permitted the misuse of his name and failed to refund unearned fees or to account.In four cases, he engaged in the unauthorized practice of law and moral turpitude by providing legal services to clients while he was suspended. In one of those matters, he charged an illegal fee. In addition, Assuras was found culpable of failing to comply with the conditions of his probation and moral turpitude for misrepresenting to the Office of Probation that he’d not practiced law while suspended. He also commingled funds in his client trust account.He was ordered to pay $3,500 plus interest in restitution. Assuras’ 2013 suspension was for using his client trust account to pay personal expenses and not properly maintaining client funds.January 2, 2013 DENNIS M. ASSURAS [#85874], 75, of Chino was suspended for one year, stayed, placed on three years of probation with an actual 30-day suspension and he was ordered to take the MPRE. The order took effect Jan. 2, 2013. Assuras stipulated that he used his client trust account to pay personal expenses and he did not properly maintain client funds. Over seven months in 2011, he wrote checks against his trust account to pay personal personal expenses, including payments to Staples, the post office, the DMV and his paralegal. He also repeatedly made electronic debits or check card purchases against the account for things like gas, a phone bill, insurance and baseball tickets.In mitigation, he cooperated with the bar’s investigation and had no prior discipline, no clients were harmed and Assuras admits that, after more than 30 years of practice, he had become lax in overseeing his account. He also performs pro bono work and serves on the board of a gang diversion nonprofit. |