STATE OF MICHIGAN
JOHN F VAN BOLT EIECUliW 01RECfW a G€*m UWhsL
NOTICE OF SUSPENSION (By Conren t )
P i l e No. DP 69/85 David A. b x o n , P 17225, 30865 Running Stream, S u i t e 1, Fannington H i l l l a , HI 48018 by Attorney Disc ip l ine Board Oakland County Hearing Panel 15. 1 ) Suspension - 120 days;
2 ) Ef fec t ive October 1, 1986. The Reaponden t and the Grievence Adminis u a t o r execu tad a S t i p u l a t i o n f o r Conrent Di rc ip l ine i n accor&nce with tfCR 9.115(1)(5). containing the Raspondent' s of f a r to submit a p l u of no10 c o n t d d e m to a l l of the a l l e g a t i o n r contained in t h i r t a e n Count C o m ~ l a i n tf i l e d b r the Grievance Adminis t r a tor. The p l u
of no10 -con tenden vaa accepted by thm A t t o m y ~ r i e v a n c e C o n i r r i o n and by the Bearing Panel and, i n accordance with the S t i p u l a t i o n , tha P a n e l e n c r e d a f i n a l Order o f D i r c i p l i n e surpeading the Respoudent'r l icenoe to p r a c t i c e law f o r a period
of 120 dayr.
Counts I. through V. of the Complaint charged t h a t the Re8pondent ac ted improperly i n connection with h i s re ten t ion i n 1982 to f i l e a Pa ten t Application, r p e c i f i c a l l y , t h a t ha f a i l e d to per fom th 08rvicer f o r vhich he uar re ta ined, f a i l e d t o communicate with th. c l i e n t , f a i l e d ko honor a promise to r e t u r n unearned f e e s i n a timely mmmer, contacted h i s former c l i e n t d i r e c t l y i n the utter of th fa8 d i r p u t a without the permission
of oppoaing c o u n r e l , a ttemp ted t o o b t a i n a n i n t e r e r t i n t h e invent ioa which tar the s u b j e c t of the repre ren ta t ion i n axclunge f o r partial refund of tln r e t a i n e r fee , and attempted to condi t ion b ia agraement to make a p r t i a l refund upon the former
c l i e n t 9 r uithdra-1 G r i evance C a ri ss ion.
of h i r grievance f i l e d w i t h the Attorney
Count8 V I . through VIII. charged t h t i n h i s repr r sen t8 t ion of a second c l i e n t , the Respondent was r e b i n e d i n 1982 i n a P a t e n t Application u t t o r and accepted the agreed upon t e e of $2450. but tbereaf t a r f a i l e d to communicate u i t h him c l i e n t u n t i l h i s d i s c h r g a by the c l i e n t i n ~ p r i l19 84 and f a i l e d tn provide the se rv ices f o r vhich ha uar rewined ; refured to re lease the
f i l e to h i r former c l i e n t 9s new a t to rney , claimfng additio-1 faor f o r a Pa ten t Application prepared rubsequent to h i 8
d i s c h a r g e i and t h a t Respondent's demand f o r a n a d d i t i o n a l $1400. i n f e e s and c o s t s a f t e r h i s d ischarge by the c l i e n t contained c la imr f o r d i rburrements which were f a l s e .
Counts IX. and X. a l l eged t h a t the Respondent was r e t a i n e d i n 1981 to handle a p a t e n t mat ter f o r a t h i r d c l i e n t and received
tbe agreed upon f e e of $700. b u t t h e r e a f t e r f a i l e d to provide a copy of p a t e n t sea rch to h i s c l i e n t , f a i l e d to respond to h i s c l i e n t ' s i n q u i r i e s and attempted to r e t a i n an excess ive f e e i n l i g h t of h i s f a i l u r e to p e r f o m the s e r v i c e f o r which he was r et a ined .
I n Counts X I . through X I I I . t he Complaint a l l e g e d t h a t the Respondent f a i l e d t o adv i se h i s c l i e n t s proper ly wi th regard to a Design P a t e n t Appl icat ion, f a i l e d to respond to h i s c l i e n t ' s i n q u i r i e s a s to the s t a t u s of the Applicat ion, f a i l e d to take
a c t i o n when t h e c h e c k drawn on h i s a c c o u n t f o r t h e P a t e n t Appl icat ion f i l i n g f e e was re turned by the P a t e n t Of f i ce f o r insuf f i c i e n t funds, and communicated d i r e c t l y wi th h i s former c l i e n t wi thout the permission of opposing counsel.
The Panel accepted Respondent's of nolo contendere to the charges t h a t his conduct c o n s t i t u t e d v i o l a t i o n s of HCR 9.104(1-4)[former GCR 953 (104)] and Canons 1 ,2 ,5 ,6 ,7 & 9 of the Code of P ro fess iona l Responsibl i ty , to w i t : DR 1-102(~)(3-6) ; DR 2 -106(~) ; DR 5 - 1 0 3 ( ~ ) ; DR 6-101(~)(1-3) ; DR 7-101(A)(l-31, DR 7 - 1 0 4 ( ~ ) ( 1 ) and DR 9-102(B)(4) . C o s t s were a s s e s s e d i n t h e amount of $482.32. The Respondent w i l l n o t be e l i g i b l e f o r r e ins ta t ement u n t i l he has es tab l i shed the c r i t e r i a s e t f o r t h i n MCR 9.123( B) by c l e a r and convincing evidence to the sa t i s f a c t i o n of a hearing panel.