Office of Lawyer Regulation v. Michael D. Mandelman

CourtWisconsin Supreme Court
DecidedDecember 8, 2015
Docket2003AP003348-D
StatusPublished

This text of Office of Lawyer Regulation v. Michael D. Mandelman (Office of Lawyer Regulation v. Michael D. Mandelman) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Wisconsin Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Office of Lawyer Regulation v. Michael D. Mandelman, (Wis. 2015).

Opinion

2015 WI 105

SUPREME COURT OF WISCONSIN CASE NO.: 2003AP3348-D, 2004AP2633-D, 2007AP2653-D and 2011AP584-D COMPLETE TITLE: In the Matter of Disciplinary Proceedings Against Michael D. Mandelman, Attorney at Law:

Office of Lawyer Regulation, Complainant-Respondent, v. Michael D. Mandelman, Respondent-Appellant.

DISCIPLINARY PROCEEDINGS AGAINST MANDELMAN

OPINION FILED: December 8, 2015 SUBMITTED ON BRIEFS: ORAL ARGUMENT:

SOURCE OF APPEAL: COURT: COUNTY: JUDGE:

JUSTICES: CONCURRED: A.W. Bradley, J., concurs. (Opinion Filed). DISSENTED: NOT PARTICIPATING: R.G. Bradley, J., did not participate.

ATTORNEYS: 2015 WI 105 NOTICE This opinion is subject to further editing and modification. The final version will appear in the bound volume of the official reports. Nos. 2003AP3348-D 2004AP2633-D 2007AP2653-D 2011AP584-D

STATE OF WISCONSIN : IN SUPREME COURT

In the Matter of Disciplinary Proceedings Against Michael D. Mandelman, Attorney at Law:

Office of Lawyer Regulation, FILED Complainant-Respondent, DEC 8, 2015 v. Diane M. Fremgen Clerk of Supreme Court Michael D. Mandelman,

Respondent-Appellant.

ATTORNEY reinstatement proceeding. Reinstatement denied.

¶1 PER CURIAM. We review the report and recommendation

of Referee Hannah C. Dugan, recommending reinstatement of the

law license of Attorney Michael D. Mandelman, with conditions,

and recommending that the court impose the full costs of this

proceeding on Attorney Mandelman. The Office of Lawyer

Regulation (OLR) took no position on reinstatement before the

referee and did not appeal the referee's recommendation. We therefore review the referee's report and recommendation Nos. 2003AP3348-D 2004AP2633-D 2007AP2653-D 2011AP584-D

pursuant to Supreme Court Rule (SCR) 22.33(3). After fully

reviewing this matter, we conclude that Attorney Mandelman has

not satisfied the criteria required to resume the practice of

law in this state, and we deny his petition for reinstatement.

Attorney Mandelman is directed to pay the costs of this

reinstatement proceeding, which total $8,074.65 as of June 1,

2015.

¶2 Attorney Mandelman was licensed to practice law in

Wisconsin in 1980. He practiced in Milwaukee, primarily in the

area of personal injury and criminal law. His license has been

suspended since July 1, 2006. On August 1, 2014, this court

revoked Attorney Mandelman's law license for 22 counts of

misconduct. In re Disciplinary Proceedings Against Mandelman,

2014 WI 100, 358 Wis. 2d 179, 851 N.W.2d 401. The revocation,

which followed a lengthy disciplinary history, was imposed

retroactive to May 29, 2009, thereby enabling him to seek

reinstatement now rather than waiting the usual requisite five

years.

¶3 Attorney Mandelman's disciplinary history culminating

in his revocation includes seven prior disciplinary cases:

 In 1990, he received a one-year suspension for 27

counts of misconduct relating to multiple counts of

failure to act with diligence; failing to promptly

return files to clients; simultaneously representing

multiple clients with adverse interests; settling a client's claim without authorization; failing to

2 Nos. 2003AP3348-D 2004AP2633-D 2007AP2653-D 2011AP584-D

communicate with clients; making a misrepresentation

to the former Board of Attorneys Professional

Responsibility (BAPR), predecessor to the OLR,

attempting to limit potential malpractice liability;

and trust account violations. In re Disciplinary

Proceedings Against Mandelman, 158 Wis. 2d 1,

460 N.W.2d 749 (1990).

 In 1994, he received an 18-month suspension for

misconduct that included failing to act with

diligence, failing to respond to clients' requests for

information, failing to refund a client's retainer,

violating the rules regarding trust accounts following

his 1990 suspension, and failing to provide complete

and accurate responses to BAPR. In re Disciplinary

Proceedings Against Mandelman, 182 Wis. 2d 583,

514 N.W.2d 11 (1994).

 In 1999, he received a consensual private reprimand

for making a false statement of fact to a tribunal.

Private Reprimand No. 99-18.

 In 2006, he received a consensual private reprimand

for drawing a check from his business account to make

a mortgage payment for a personal injury client.

Private Reprimand No. 06-21.

 Also in 2006, he received a nine-month suspension for

multiple instances of misconduct including failing to act with reasonable diligence, failing to utilize a

3 Nos. 2003AP3348-D 2004AP2633-D 2007AP2653-D 2011AP584-D

written fee agreement in a medical malpractice case,

and persuading a client to sign a release of claims

against him without the client obtaining independent

representation. In re Disciplinary Proceedings

Against Mandelman, 2006 WI 45, 290 Wis. 2d 158,

714 N.W.2d 512.1

 In 2009, he received a one-year suspension for

misconduct including collecting a fee without

performing any work for a client, failing to provide a

client with a written settlement statement, retaining

a client's funds for more than four years, making

misrepresentations to a client, failing to obtain a

client's signature on a settlement check, failing to

deposit the settlement funds into a client trust

account, and failing to provide a client's file and

funds to the client. In re Disciplinary Proceedings

Against Mandelman, 2009 WI 40, 317 Wis. 2d 215,

765 N.W.2d 788.

 In 2014, this court revoked Attorney Mandelman's

license for 22 counts of misconduct including

1 Notably, this decision also denied Attorney Mandelman's first petition for reinstatement because, while his suspension was pending, additional professional misconduct was discovered, including post-suspension trust account violations and, during reinstatement proceedings, he gave incomplete and evasive information to BAPR.

4 Nos. 2003AP3348-D 2004AP2633-D 2007AP2653-D 2011AP584-D

mishandling of trust accounts and funds, commingling

personal and business funds with client trust funds,

converting client trust finds by engaging in trust

account transactions that left negative balances in

his own subsidiary accounts, failing to deliver trust

funds to a client over a period of years, failing to

keep complete and accurate trust account records, and

on multiple occasions filing income tax returns that

were false. Attorney Mandelman also showed lack of

diligence in another matter, failed to notify a client

of his suspension in another, and also gave a false

affidavit to the OLR. Mandelman, 358 Wis. 2d 179.

¶4 On August 5, 2014, Attorney Mandelman filed a petition

seeking reinstatement of his license to practice law. The OLR

filed a response dated January 15, 2015. The OLR expressed

several concerns in its initial response, noting that, because

of time constraints imposed by the referee, it had insufficient

time to investigate the reinstatement petition.

¶5 The referee conducted a public reinstatement hearing

on February 4, 2015. At the hearing, the OLR stated that it had

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