Aggrieved former clients of an unidentified attorney disbarred in 2009 have filed at least 125 claims for more than $500,000 in reimbursements with the D.C. Bar, according to recent D.C. Bar reports.
The numbers are “historic” when compared to claims filed in previous years, said Jeffrey Gutman, chairman of the Bar’s Clients’ Security Fund, which handles claims for reimbursements filed by former clients of disciplined attorneys. The identity of the attorney in question is confidential, Gutman said.
From 1973 to 2009, there were never more than 57 claims filed with the fund in a single year, according to Bar statistics. In the 2009-2010 fiscal year, however, there were 96 claims filed, and of those, 67 involved this one attorney.
During the current fiscal year ending June 30, 78 claims have been filed to date. Of those, 63 involve this attorney.
The fund trustees estimate that claims involving this attorney will cost the fund between $550,000 and $600,000. The fund is expecting to process about 150 total claims relating to this one attorney, according to the fund's annual report to the Bar.
The attorney involved was disbarred by the D.C. Court of Appeals on Nov. 5, 2009, according to the report. A footnote dedicated to explaining the spike in claims noted that this attorney’s “practice was primarily representing incarcerated individuals seeking post-conviction relief.”
Gutman said that the scope of the attorney’s alleged misconduct, according to the claims filed with the fund, has been limited to the past 10 years. He could not be more specific due to rules on confidentiality.
Gutman said that because the fund can’t tackle claims until an attorney is officially disciplined, the number of claims involving this attorney have spiked between late 2009 and now. In the fund's annual report, the trustees note that they expect to resolve most, if not all, of the claims relating to this attorney by the end of this fiscal year.
“Our preference has been to resolve [claims] as we are able to, being mindful that…if they’re entitled to the money, they should get it sooner rather than later,” Gutman said. “We’re getting pretty close to completing our work.”
Updated at 1:03 p.m. with new figures on claims filed this fiscal year.
Someone contacted me concerning James Q. Butler and the serious setback he caused my son. You number was inadvertently deleted from my call list. It is imperative that I speak with you.
Thanks!
Posted by: Roz- Johnson | June 12, 2012 at 07:01 PM
Whee can I find actual court convictions or citations against James Q. Butler? He really swindled me and caused my son a serious set back. He filed improper documents to the wrong court; you name it; he did it! I just need documentation and/or actual cases on line that I can retrieve that shows the pattern of this crook.
Posted by: Roz- Johnson | May 28, 2012 at 11:15 PM
James Butler isn't a member of the Maryland Bar, so I don't know if he's practicing law here or not. Wouldn't surprise me to find that is is, without the benefit of a license! He has a hearing scheduled in Baltimore County, I guess he must have swindled someone there, too.
Turns out his business in Baltimore did go under. So much for hiding his stolen client fees.
Posted by: Chris D. | May 26, 2011 at 12:10 PM
Yep it is the infamous James Butler. I was one of his former clients that he screwed for their retainer. I'm still highly disappointed that the DC Bar didn't suspend his license way before I retained him. Sad he had so many compliants filed against him to the Bar but still they didn't stear protential clients away from him thus leading to me retaining him. After about a year and a half I finally was issued a check for my retainer amount but it was minus 400 bucks. The DC Bar claimed the deduction was for work Mr. Butler had did on my behalf. WTF!!! He didn't left a finger after I paid him. Talk about a crook. I didn't know he was back to practicing law in MD thanks for the heads up on that.
Posted by: DJ | May 23, 2011 at 06:59 PM
Is there an update to this? Someone said his business in Baltimore went under and his car was repossessed.
Posted by: Keith J. | May 12, 2011 at 10:09 AM
Gilbert Farr was disbarred in 2004 -- the attorney in question was disbarred in 2009. I suspect it was James Q. Butler who now owns a sham business in Baltimore to hide the money he stole from his cliets.
Posted by: Chris D | April 18, 2011 at 10:50 AM
Well, the DC Court of Appeals website lists only 2 attorneys who were disbarred on November 5, 2009. Checking their names on the D.C. Bar member database reveals that one was disbarred because he himself committed felonies in Maryland, while the other was disbarred because of numerous (over 40) complaints by convicted defendants. The May 1, 2009 committee hearing report gives the details, including his name. Not really anonymous?
Posted by: Alan Kabat | April 08, 2011 at 06:46 PM
It may be the following attorney who was disbarred and collected large criminal/post-conviction retainers for little to no work.
http://www.dcbar.org/for_lawyers/ethics/discipline/pdf/bpr_report/L.GilbertFarr04508.pdf
Posted by: Mike | April 08, 2011 at 06:44 PM