In re Bruno

47 A.D.3d 233, 847 N.Y.S.2d 216

This text of 47 A.D.3d 233 (In re Bruno) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In re Bruno, 47 A.D.3d 233, 847 N.Y.S.2d 216 (N.Y. Ct. App. 2007).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT

Per Curiam.

The Grievance Committee served the respondent with a petition dated August 2, 2005, containing two counts of professional misconduct. After preliminary conferences on October 20, 2005, and May 24, 2006, and a plenary hearing conducted on August 11, 2006, October 11, 2006, October 12, 2006, October 13, 2006, December 11, 2006, and December 12, 2006, the Special Referee sustained both charges. The Grievance Committee now moves to confirm the Special Referee’s report and to impose such discipline as the Court deems just and proper. The respondent has submitted an affirmation in opposition to the Grievance Committee’s motion to confirm in which he asserts that he does not oppose that motion but submits his affirmation in mitigation of any action or discipline that may be imposed as a result of the decision of the Special Referee.

Charge one alleges that the respondent engaged in conduct prejudicial to the administration of justice by providing inaccurate and evasive responses to discovery requests and/or failing to disclose information, in violation of Code of Professional Responsibility DR 1-102 (a) (5) (22 NYCRR 1200.3 [a] [5]).

The respondent represented the husband in a matrimonial action entitled Carol Sigurdson v Vincent Sigurdson, pending in the Supreme Court, Suffolk County, under Index No. 00532/01. The wife was represented by Bridget J. Tartaglia.

Ms. Tartaglia served the respondent with a first set of interrogatories and notice of discovery and inspection in or about May 2001. These contained requests for copies of documents and records pertaining to money received by Mr. Sigurdson with respect to his business from all sources, including financial statements, list of assets, annual gross revenue, distribution of any profits, as well as copies of financial records showing money paid to and/or received by him from any business.

In his reply, the respondent stated that Mr. Sigurdson’s business “went under” for lack of contracts and work. He failed to [235]*235provide any requested business documents, claiming that the corporate records were already in possession of the wife inasmuch as the marital residence was the former place of business.

After the commencement of trial, Ms. Tartaglia claimed to have recently ascertained that the husband had received in excess of $105,000 in accounts receivable subsequent to the commencement of the divorce action and that those funds were received as checks payable to the respondent, as attorney for the husband’s business. That information was allegedly never disclosed during discovery.

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Related

§ 90
New York JUD § 90

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
47 A.D.3d 233, 847 N.Y.S.2d 216, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-bruno-nyappdiv-2007.