Attorney Michael Redden of Portland; ethical dwarf

The state of Oregon provided Michael Redden with a law license in 1980 after he graduated from Lewis & Clark Law School.

The Oregon State Bar found Mike guilty of the following misconduct.

• Violated duty he owed to his clients and the legal profession
• Negligent in failing to fully evaluate substance and nature of relationship with former clients
• Conduct deviated from standard of care reasonable attorney would exercise
• Dismissed associate’s inquiry asking him if they were permitted to prepare documents for the clients when Mike was opposing party in the same proceeding
• Conduct resulted in potential injury to clients
• Mike’s interests were adverse to his clients’ interests
• Provided former clients with legal advice concerning same matter in which he represented his own personal interests

In one matter, Mike represented clients in a Chapter 13 bankruptcy case. The clients also hired Mike in regards to tax problems they were facing with the I.R.S. and the Oregon Department of Revenue (ODR).

Mike wasn’t involved in the preparation of the clients’ bankruptcy petition and schedules. Subsequently, the IRS and ODR were successful in a motion to dismiss the bankruptcy filing based on allegations that the clients had failed to disclose various assets. Thereafter, Mike told the client’s he could no longer represent them.

The client’s owed Mike $20,000 in fees for his work on the bankruptcy and tax matters. Mike then filed an involuntary bankruptcy action against his former clients to collect the $20,000.

The former clients then sought help from Mike and his associate in responding to the involuntary bankruptcy filing; however, Mike told them he couldn’t represent them and they should obtain new counsel. The former client’s continued to call Mike and he subsequently instructed his associate to prepare drafts of answer and schedules for the former clients in regards to Mike’s involuntary bankruptcy filing against them.

Mike then reviewed and approved the documents before his associate forwarded them to the former clients, with instructions that they carefully review them for accuracy before signing them. Mike also advised them on how to file the documents with the bankruptcy court.

Mike later admitted that the prepared drafts answers and schedules and gave advise about those documents to his former clients in defending against Mike’s involuntary bankruptcy filing that was aimed at collecting $20,000 in fees from them. 

Mike engaged in an egregious conflict of interest in an overt attempt to collect $20,000 from his prior clients in a bankruptcy filing by his ex-clients.

As we speak (ca. August 2014) Mike practices with Redden & Findling LLP at 2720 NE 33^rd Avenue in Portland, Oregon.