NOTICE OF REPRIMAND
(By Consent)
Case No. 23-46-GA
Notice Issued: March 27, 2024
Jeffrey P. Thennisch, P 51499, Clarkston, Michigan, by the Attorney Discipline Board Tri-County Hearing Panel #71
Reprimand, Effective March 27, 2024
Respondent and the Grievance Administrator filed an Amended Stipulation for 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.
Based upon respondent's admissions and the amended stipulation of the parties, the panel found that respondent’s IOLTA was overdrawn by a transaction that was a business expense and should have been paid out of his business account, and that he knowingly deposited personal funds into his IOLTA and used his IOLTA to convey wire transfers of funds to acquaintances to avoid family scrutiny of his personal spending. More specifically, the panel found that respondent commingled personal and client funds in a trust account, in violation of MRPC 1.15(d); and kept his own funds in a client trust account beyond an amount reasonably necessary to pay financial institution charges or fees, in violation of MRPC 1.15(f). The panel also found that respondent’s conduct violated MCR 9.104(2) and (3).
In accordance with the amended stipulation of the parties, the panel ordered that respondent be reprimanded. Costs were assessed in the amount of $927.14.