S. Ct. Civ. No. 2013-0023

In consolidated petitions for disciplinary action filed by the Ethics & Grievance Committee of the Virgin Islands Bar Association requesting approval of its recommendation, among other things, to disbar an attorney as a member of the Virgin Islands Bar, the petition is granted. Considering the duties violated, the lawyer's mental state, the potential or actual injury caused by the lawyer's misconduct, and the existence of aggravating or mitigating factors, involving multiple grievances and ethical violations, and aggravating factors, the appropriate aggregate sanctions for the 10 matters total an 84-month-or seven year-suspension from the practice of law. Disbarment is generally appropriate when a lawyer engages in a pattern of neglect with respect to client matters and causes serious or potentially serious injury to a client, and the attorney's conduct over all of these matters, when viewed in the aggregate, clearly establishes a pattern of negligent-and sometimes intentional-misconduct in unrelated client matters, over the span of several years, that caused serious or potentially serious injuries to clients, third parties, and the administration of justice in the Virgin Islands. The record is also replete with numerous aggravating factors-most notably failure to participate in the disciplinary proceedings despite receiving numerous opportunities to do so-and virtually nothing to support mitigation. Therefore, disbarment, the most serious sanction that can be imposed in an attorney discipline proceeding, represents the appropriate aggregate sanction for this attorney's repeated instances of ethical misconduct. The petition to disbar this attorney effective immediately, is granted and the payment of restitution as directed by the Committee, and payment of its costs in this proceeding, is ordered.