WV High Court Disbars Attorney For $90K Ripoff Of Client Cash; Follows Suit After Lawyer Received Similar Boot From Maryland, Virginia, D.C Bars

In Charleston, West Virginia, The West Virginia Record reports:

• The state Supreme Court has followed suit with Maryland's high court to disbar an attorney for misappropriating over $90,000 in client funds. The Court on Sept. 16 voted to annul the license of Cumberland, Md. attorney Nathan H. Wasser. The decision came eight days after the Court heard arguments why they should impose a lesser punishment than the Maryland Court of Appeals for Wasser's misconduct.

• The Court of Appeals on Feb. 3, 2009, ordered Wasser's license annulled. The annulment came three months after his office manager, Sherry Yates, resigned, and filed a complaint with Maryland's Attorney Grievance Commission that Wasser was using client funds for personal use.(1)

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• Despite reciprocal annulments in the District of Columbia and Virginia, where he was admitted to the Bar in 1969, and 1980, respectively, Wasser hoped the West Virginia Supreme Court would show him some mercy. [...] However, the Court found his argument unpersuasive. In an unsigned, unanimous opinion the Court said Wasser's repeated conversion of funds over a three-year period is grounds enough to disbar him.(2)

For the story, see WVSCA revokes Md. attorney's license.

For the court's ruling, see Lawyers Disciplinary Board v. Wasser.

(1) Reportedly, in the Maryland case, Wasser acknowledged his misconduct, expressed remorse for it, and forked over a check for $183,633.99 - the balance in his escrow account - to the Commission which was later forwarded to The Client Protection Fund of the Bar of Maryland.

(2) The West Virginia State Bar's Lawyers Fund for Client Protection was created to help reimburse clients for money they may have lost because of misappropriation or embezzle­ment by their attorneys.

For similar "attorney ripoff reimbursement funds" that sometimes help cover the financial mess created by the dishonest conduct of lawyers licensed in other states and Canada, see:

• Directory Of Lawyers' Funds For Client Protection (list now includes Canadian protection funds, courtesy of the American Bar Association);
• Check the USA Client Protection Funds Map;
• Check the Canada Client Protection Funds Map.