Practice Overview

Attorney Grievance Investigations

Nathans & Biddle has successfully defended lawyers in attorney grievance proceedings, Office of Professional Responsibility investigations, contempt proceedings, employment matters, and/or matters related to state or federal criminal charges.  These attorneys have included a managing partner of a national law firm,  a member of the executive committee of a top 100 law firm, a senior Department of Justice attorney, a former Assistant United States Attorney, a securities lawyer, prominent Baltimore and Washington, D.C. criminal defense attorneys, and a public defender.

While past successes do not predict future outcomes, Mr. Nathans and Mr. Ripke have either persuaded the Maryland Attorney Grievance Commission to decline to bring charges or have been successful in every Peer Review Hearing handled by our firm. These matters included allegations of internet sex conversations with juveniles, internet harassment, disclosing client secrets and misleading a judge, failure to properly and diligently represent clients, excessive fees and disclosing information learned as a government attorney after having left government services. In one instance, the Attorney Grievance Commission declined to sanction the attorney, even though the attorney had sustained a criminal conviction for the underlying conduct.

Examples of successes in prior years include successful representation of an attorney facing twenty-seven charges and disbarment by the Attorney Grievance Commission culminating in a finding of only one minor violation after a Peer Review Hearing.

If you have been accused of professional misconduct or have been called to appear before the Attorney Grievance Commission of Maryland, Nathans & Biddle attorneys can provide seasoned advice.