Attorney Richard Brown of Southborough, MA; ethical gnome

The state of Massachusetts presented Richard Michael Brown with a law license in 1986 after he graduated from Suffolk University School of Law.

The Board of Bar Overseers found Dick guilty of the following misconduct.

• In three matters, improperly wrote himself checks from his IOLTA account to withdraw his fee after the case was settled in principle, but before receiving any settlement funds
• Failed to provide client with a statement explain outcome of his case
• Failed to send client statements showing the remittance of funds and method of its determination
• Failed to keep records of funds for his IOLTA account as required
• Did not keep a chronological check register showing each deposit and disbursement with client identifiers and with a calculation of the balance after each transaction
• Failed to maintain a ledger for each individual client matter
• Failed to keep a ledger of his personal funds in his IOLTA trust account
• Did not reconcile IOLTA trust account at least every sixty days
• Intentionally misused client funds
• Failed to send statements to clients at the conclusion of the contingent-fee cases explaining the outcome of the case and showing the remittance and method of its determination

As a direct consequence of his misconduct, the cheerleaders for Attorney Misfits sitting on the Board of Overseers punished Dick by gifting him with a complimentary 5-month suspension of his law license.

As we speak (ca. March 2020) Dick practices with the Law Office of R. Michael Brown at 77 Turnpike Road in Southborough, Massachusetts.