| ► Attorney Julie Thalen of Woodbridge, CT; ethical dwarf |
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Attorney Julie Thalen of Woodbridge, CT; ethical dwarf 
The state of Connecticut provided Julie Thalen with a law license in 1978.
The Statewide Grievance Committee found Julie guilty of the following misconduct.
In one matter, Julie represented a long-time friend and her husband, Eddy Block. The client worked in the construction business and Mr. Block was a real estate developer. Subsequently, the clien and Mr. Block formed a partnership named Beaver Street Associates (BSA) with each of them holding a 50% interest. BSA owned and operated a building known as the H.C. Cook building located in Ansonia, Connecticut.
The client performed remodeling and repair of the Cook and Mr. Cook procured tenants for the building. Julie performed the necessary legal work for BSA as needed. The loans obtained to fund the partnership were guaranteed by Julie and Mr. Block and totaled $550,000.
When making loans to the client, Julie never advised her to obtain independent advice from another attorney. Subsequently, Julie was able to obtain a $1.2 million loan from Connecticut Savings Bank on her client’s behalf. While processing the loan, Julie served as legal counsel for BSA and also acted as a personal guarantor on the loan and she prepared the loan documents and the guarantee. The client voiced concerns regarding Julie acting as a guarantor on the loan. Again, Julie failed to advise the client to seek independent advice on the matter.
Subsequently, BSA was unable to keep up with the loan payments to Connecticut Savings Bank, which threatened to foreclose on the property. Unbeknownst to the client, Julie and Mr. Block formed Eager Beaver LLC, which was owned 50% by each of them. Julie prepared the partnership papers for Eager Beaver. Eager Beaver then offered to purchase the BSA Note from the bank for $550,000 to avert the foreclosure, which the bank accepted. Julie did not inform her client about the formation of Eager Beaver nor was the client told about the purchase of the note which was for about half of its value.
As a consequence of his misconduct, the Patron Saints for Attorney Misfits sitting on the Statewide Grievance Committee punished Julie by gifting her with a complimentary reprimand.
As we speak (ca. January 2013) Julie practices at 12 Diana Drive in Woodbridge, Connecticut.
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