NOTICE OF REPRIMAND AND RESTITUTION (By Consent)
Case No. 99-166-GA Issued: July 25, 2000 Thomas R. Blaising, P-24868, Battle Creek, Michigan, by the Attorney Discipline Board Ingham County Hearing Panel #4.
1.Reprimand; 2.Effective July 19, 2000. The respondent and the Grievance Administrator filed a stipulation for a consent order of discipline in accordance with MCR 9.115(f)(5) which was approved by the Attorney Grievance Commission and accepted by the hearing panel. Respondent offered a plea of no contest to the charges of misconduct contained in the Amended Formal Complaint 99-166-GA, to wit: Respondent improperly disclosed his client=s confidences and secrets to his client=s daughter, who was also a client, and failed to withdraw from his representation when he realized that it would constitute a conflict of interest. Also, respondent charged his client for work necessitated by the breach of his client=s confidences and sought to collect for work performed outside the scope of the retainer agreement. Respondent=s conduct was alleged to be in violation of MCR 9.104(1)-(4) and the Michigan Rules of Professional Conduct 1.5(a); 1.6(b); 1.7(a) and (b); 1.16(a)(1); and 8.4(a)-(c). The parties agreed that respondent should be reprimanded. The parties further stipulated that the respondent pay restitution in the amount of $400.00 and be subject to certain conditions relevant to the established misconduct. Costs were assessed in the amount of $487.84.