Columbus Attorney Indefinitely Suspended
2009-2260. Columbus Bar Assn. v. Clovis, Slip Opinion No. 2010-Ohio-1859.
On Certified Report by the Board of Commissioners on Grievances and Discipline, No. 09-045. Charles Brandt Clovis, Attorney Registration No. 0071950, is indefinitely suspended from the practice of law in Ohio.
Pfeifer, Lundberg Stratton, O'Connor, O’Donnell, Lanzinger, and Cupp, JJ., concur.
Brown, C.J., not participating.
Opinion: http://www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/rod/docs/pdf/0/2010/2010-Ohio-1859.pdf 
(May 5, 2010) The Supreme Court of Ohio today indefinitely suspended the license of Columbus attorney Charles Brandt Clovis for failing to perform promised legal work for a client after accepting a $4,000 fee advance, and then failing to respond to the resulting disciplinary investigation.
In a 6-0 per curiam opinion, the Court adopted findings by the Board of Commissioners on Grievances & Discipline that Clovis accepted the fee advance to prepare a clemency petition on behalf of a client’s incarcerated husband but performed no work on the case for 16 months and failed to refund the unearned legal fees or return documents to the client despite her repeated requests that he do so.
The Court agreed with the board’s conclusions that Clovis violated the state disciplinary rules that require attorneys to act with reasonable diligence and promptness in representing a client and that prohibit an attorney from charging a clearly excessive fee and engaging in conduct that adversely reflects on the attorney’s fitness to practice law. The Court also found that by failing to answer repeated inquiries from the Columbus Bar Association in response to a grievance filed by his client, or to file an answer to the formal complaint lodged against him with the disciplinary board, Clovis also violated the state bar governance rules that require attorneys to assist or testify in a disciplinary investigation and to respond to a demand for information from disciplinary authorities.
Chief Justice Eric Brown did not participate in the Court’s deliberations or decision in the case.
Contacts
Bruce A. Campbell, 614.340.2053, for Patricia Manton.
Charles Clovis, pro se, 513.224.7291.
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