Attorney Matthew Nelson of Harpers Ferry, WV; ethical gremlin

The state of Maryland presented Michael Joseph Novotny with a law license in 1991 after he graduated from the University of West Virginia. School of Law. Mikey was also admitted to practice in West Virginia in1991.

The Office of Disciplinary Counsel (ODC) found Mikey guilty of engaging in the following misconduct.

• Failed to supervise the company’s non-attorney staff
• Failed to make reasonable efforts to ensure that the company’s non-attorney staff members’ conduct was compatible with the attorney’s professional obligations
• Failed to provide the clients with sufficient information to enable the clients to give informed consent to allow the prepaid/unearned fees to be treated as earned upon receipt as provided in the company’s retainer agreements

As a direct consequence of his misconduct, the apologists for Attorney Misfits sitting on the Maryland Supreme punished Mikey by gifting him with a complimentary reprimand.  

As we speak (ca. March 2024), Mikey practices his so-called brand of law at 36 Bakerton Road in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia.