Attorney Discipline
| Jurisdiction | Georgia,United States |
| Citation | Vol. 26 No. 3 Pg. 0042 |
| Pages | 0042 |
| Publication year | 2020 |
Attorney Discipline Summaries
Sept. 8, 2020 – Nov. 23, 2020
BY JESSICA OGLESBY
Disbarment Leighton Reid Berry Jr.
33 11th St., Unit 714
Atlanta, GA 30309
Admitted to the Bar 1994
On Sept. 8, 2020, the Supreme Court of Georgia disbarred attorney Leighton Reid Berry Jr. (State Bar No. 055545) from the practice of law in Georgia. Berry was hired by a client to represent her in a personal injury matter. He failed to ensure the client executed a written agreement prescribing the terms of engagement and failed to explain the basis for fees and expenses that he would charge. He and his client signed a lien agreement with the client’s physical therapy provider in which Berry promised to make payment to the provider on behalf of his client when the client’s claim was resolved. When Berry settled the case, he failed to inform his client of the settlement, failed to make payment for his client to the physical therapy provider and failed to inform the client that he had not paid the provider. Eventually, the provider notified the client that amounts remained outstanding, and Berry then failed to respond to inquiries from the client and the provider. Berry failed to maintain records related to the funds that he received for the benefit of his client in connection with the settlement of her claim, and he misappropriated funds that he was supposed to remit to the therapist on her behalf.
The State Bar asserted that Berry violated Rules 1.2 (a), 1.3, 1.4 (a), 1.5 (b), 1.5 (c) (2), 1.15 (I) (a), 1.15 (I) (b) and 8.4 (a) (4) of the Georgia Rules of Professional Conduct. The maximum sanction for a violation of Rules 1.2, 1.3, 1.15 (I) and 8.4 (a) (4) is disbarment. The State Bar noted no factors in mitigation. In aggravation, the Bar noted Berry’s prior history of discipline, his dishonest and selfish motive, and his substantial experience in the practice of law. The Supreme Court of Georgia agreed that disbarment was the appropriate sanction.
Pamela Sturdivant Stephenson
4262 Clausell Court, Suite C
Decatur, GA 30035
Admitted to the Bar 1994
On Sept. 28, 2020, the Supreme Court of Georgia accepted the petition for voluntary surrender of license for attorney Pamela Sturdivant Stephenson (State Bar No. 679558). Stephenson was already under suspension because of her failure to respond to a Notice of Investigation filed by the State Bar in a matter in...
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