Attorney Who Put Client Facing F'closure Into Bankruptcy w/out His Knowledge Temporarily Banned From Filing New Cases, Ordered To Pay New Counsel $10K

In White Plains, New York, The Journal News reports:

• A White Plains lawyer who was accused of putting a client in bankruptcy court without authorization has agreed to a ban from filing new bankruptcy cases. Christopher Cabanillas also agreed to have attorneys at his firm receive training on bankruptcy court filing procedures.

• Cabanillas and U.S. Trustee Greg Zipes signed the stipulation in the wake of a hearing where a federal bankruptcy judge ordered Cabanillas to return $1,250 to a former client and pay $10,000 to the man's new lawyer.

• The client, Domingo Hernandez, charged in court papers that he went to Cabanillas to get help fending off foreclosure proceedings on a Yonkers building he owned. Instead, Hernandez charged, Cabanillas filed for bankruptcy on Hernandez's behalf without his knowledge. Cabanillas denied the charge but did admit his firm filed Hernandez's bankruptcy petition without a signature.

For the story, see White Plains lawyer banned from filing bankruptcies.