NOTICE OF REPRIMAND WITH CONDITIONS (By Consent)
Case No. 95-7-GA Marvin Skupski, P-29152, Livonia, Michigan, by Attorney Discipline Board Tri-County Hearing Panel #14.
1) Reprimand; 2) Effective June 3, 1995. The respondent and the Grievance Administrator filed a stipulation for consent order of discipline pursuant to MCR 9.115(F)(5), which was approved by the hearing panel and the Attorney Grievance Commission.
Respondent, through his professional corporation, retained the services of Estate Resource Group, a business entity not authorized to engage in the practice of law, to market estate management plans. Respondent pled no contest to allegations that he failed to undertake reasonable efforts to ensure that Estate Resource Group and/or its agents did not: make unsolicited telephone calls to prospective clients; make material misrepresentations or omissions of fact regarding his services to prospective clients; engage in unsubstantiated claims comparing his services and fees favorably to those of local attorneys; and engage in high pressure sales techniques or promulgate advertising which was false, misleading or deceptive.
Respondent's conduct was alleged to be in violation of MCR 9.104(1)-(4); and Michigan Rules of Professional Conduct 7.1(a); 7.2(c); 7.3(a)and(b); and 8.4(a)-(c).
The parties stipulated that the respondent be reprimanded, sever his business relationship with Estate Resource Group, refrain from employing similar marketing systems, and have his law practice monitored for six months. Costs were assessed in the amount of $167.46.