State ex rel. Oklahoma Bar Ass'n v. Southern

2005 OK 18, 114 P.3d 422, 76 O.B.A.J. 802, 2005 Okla. LEXIS 17, 2005 WL 646311
CourtSupreme Court of Oklahoma
DecidedMarch 22, 2005
DocketSCBD No. 4936
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 2005 OK 18 (State ex rel. Oklahoma Bar Ass'n v. Southern) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State ex rel. Oklahoma Bar Ass'n v. Southern, 2005 OK 18, 114 P.3d 422, 76 O.B.A.J. 802, 2005 Okla. LEXIS 17, 2005 WL 646311 (Okla. 2005).

Opinion

ORDER APPROVING RESIGNATION FROM OKLAHOMA BAR ASSOCIATION PENDING DISCIPLINARY PROCEEDINGS

¶ 1 Upon consideration of the Complainant, Oklahoma Bar Association’s application for an Order approving the resignation of Respondent, Frederick W. Southern, Jr. pending disciplinary proceedings pursuant to Rule 8 of the Rules Governing Disciplinary Proceedings, (RGDP), 5 O.S.2001, Ch. 1, App. 1-A, this Court finds:

1. On September 9, 2004, Southern submitted his affidavit of resignation from membership in the Oklahoma Bar Association pending disciplinary proceedings.
2. Southern’s affidavit of resignation reflects that: a), it was freely and voluntarily rendered; b). he was not subject to coercion or duress; and c). he was aware of the consequences of submitting his resignation.
3. Southern states the following in his affidavit of resignation: “I am aware that the following disciplinary action is pending against me with the Supreme Court of the State of Oklahoma: On August 18, 2004, a Complaint was [423]*423lodged [in State ex rel. Oklahoma Bar Ass’n v. Frederick W. Southern, Jr., SCBD #4936, which contains twenty counts of alleged professional misconduct pursuant to Rule 6 of the RGDP]” and said Complaint was attached to Southern’s affidavit as Exhibit “A.” The Complaint notes under the heading regarding enhancement that Southern has been previously publicly censured in State ex rel. Oklahoma Bar Ass’n v. Southern, 2000 OK 88, 15 P.3d 1. The counts of professional misconduct alleged in the Complaint in the instant matter are summarized in pertinent part as follows:
a). Count I: Garcia Representation: Respondent allegedly failed to comply with or respond to orders of an Administrative Law Judge, ultimately resulting in the dismissal of Garcia’s claim because of Respondent’s failure to prosecute and failure to comply with the Administrative Law Judge’s orders. Subsequent to re-filing in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oldahoma, the action was later dismissed without prejudice for failure to prosecute.
b). Counts II, V, VII, IX, XII, XIV, XVI: Garcia, Finklea, Barnes, Avits, Lewis, Mills, Jones Misrepresentations: During Respondent’s February 25, 2004 deposition, Respondent made statements concerning his representation of these clients, which were allegedly intentional misrepresentations. Additionally, Respondent made written statements concerning his representation of Finklea and Mills, which allegedly constitute intentional misrepresentations.
c). Count III: Schroeder Representation: Allegations include Respondent’s failure to issue summons or serve defendants in this federal employment discrimination matter and failure to prosecute, resulting in dismissal of the case. Additional allegations include untimely subsequent filing of an amended complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma, failure to serve opposing counsel with copies of pleadings, failure to timely respond to discovery requests, and failure to appear for Schroeder’s deposition in the matter, which ultimately resulted in the court’s dismissal of the action with prejudice.
d). Count IV: Finklea Representation: Allegations include Respondent’s failure to serve defendants in this matter filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma, failure to prosecute the case, failure to comply with the court’s show cause order, which ultimately resulted in dismissal of the case. Additional allegations include failure to keep the client reasonably informed of the status of the case, failure to return the client’s telephone calls, and failure to return documents to Finklea.
e). Count VI: Barnes Representation: Allegations include Respondent’s failure to serve the defendant in this federal employment discrimination matter, resulting in dismissal of the ease. Additional allegations include Respondent’s failure to communicate properly with his client throughout the course of his representation and failure to keep him properly advised as to the status of the case, the dismissal, or the fact that the client had one year to re-file the case.
f). Count VIII: Avits Representation: Allegations include Respondent’s failure to issue summons or serve defendants in this federal wrongful termination matter and failure to comply with the court’s show cause order, resulting in dismissal of the case. Additional allegations include failure to properly keep the clients advised as to the status of the case, failure to accept or return telephone calls, and failure to advise the clients that the ease had been dismissed and that they had one year to re-file.
g). Count X: Murray Representation: Allegations include Respondent’s failure to serve the defendant in this federal employment discrimination matter, resulting in dismissal of the case for failure to prosecute. Respondent refiled this action, and later allegedly failed to serve copies of pleadings on [424]*424counsel for defendant and allegedly-failed to file a corrected certificate of service with the court to reflect the correct date of service of the pleadings. The court ultimately dismissed the case, noting the Respondent’s “misrepresentation to the [U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma] regarding service” and warned that Respondent’s “continued failure to timely serve and to serve in accordance with the representations set forth in any certificate of service will result in the imposition of sanctions against Mr. Southern.”
h). Count XI: Lewis Representation: Allegations include Respondent’s failure to prosecute in this matter, resulting in dismissal of the case. Additional allegations include Respondent’s failure to serve defendants the amended complaint in this matter filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma and failure to comply with the court’s show cause order, which ultimately resulted in dismissal of the case. Additionally, Respondent allegedly failed to keep this client advised of the status of the case and allegedly made statements concerning his representation of Lewis to successor counsel amounting to intentional misrepresentations.
i). Count XIII: Mills Representation: Allegations include Respondent’s failure to coordinate and timely file a joint status report and discovery plan, failure to comply with the court’s order instructing Respondent to respond to defendant’s motion to compel and order compelling discovery in this matter filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma. Additional allegations include failure to communicate properly with the client throughout the course of the representation, failure to advise Mills of the status of the case and failure to advise her of Respondent’s new office address.
j). Count XV: Jones Representation: Allegations include Respondent’s failure to prosecute and failure to comply with orders of the court in this matter filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma, which ultimately resulted in dismissal of the case. Additional allegations include misleading the client as to the status of the case, failure to keep the client reasonably informed of the status of the case, failure to conduct any discovery or research on behalf of the client concerning her federal ADA claim, which is now time-barred.
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Bluebook (online)
2005 OK 18, 114 P.3d 422, 76 O.B.A.J. 802, 2005 Okla. LEXIS 17, 2005 WL 646311, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-ex-rel-oklahoma-bar-assn-v-southern-okla-2005.