Fort Gratiot legal professional David Keyes to be disbarred
A local lawyer will be disbarred right after a condition board identified he misappropriated client resources.
A local lawyer will be disbarred right after a condition board identified he misappropriated client resources.
The Michigan Legal professional Self-discipline board issued an purchase of disbarment by consent for David Keyes, whose workplace is based in Fort Gratiot, on June 16. As part of the buy, Keyes consented to punishment for allegations of qualified misconduct.
His disbarment is powerful July 8. He also was purchased to pay $787 in costs to the Michigan Attorney Grievance Commission.
A commission report states Keyes deposited consumer cash in his very own personal bank account in its place of into an account for the Kelly Law Company, where by he was formerly employed.
“(The Michigan guidelines of professional perform are) a superior common,” Keyes claimed. “And I fell small of that regular. And not only did I tumble short of the specifications set by the rules, I fell small of my very own conventional.
“I recognize what I have done mistaken and so it was vital to me to get accountability for my steps,” he reported.
Keyes is married to St. Clair County Assistant Prosecutor Melissa Keyes.
The lawyer grievance commission report
The Michigan Legal professional Grievance Commission report found that even though symbolizing two shoppers, Keyes requested that they pay out legal service fees directly to him, and he deposited the cash specifically in his personal account.
Keyes filed an purchase on behalf of those clients without their consent that required them to shell out $50,000 into the firm’s account for ongoing litigation fees and prohibited withdrawal from the account from any get together other than by mutual consent or order of the courtroom. Keyes then questioned all those clients to send him a $50,000 look at payable to him, which he deposited into his private bank account in direct violation of the buy, in accordance to the report.
Although symbolizing a different pair of clients, he requested a $2,500 retainer, which he deposited into his personal account. When his shoppers entered into a $13,000 settlement settlement upon getting told they would not be charged attorney costs, Keyes requested that opposing counsel make the settlement verify payable to the firm.
As a end result of this, those clients were despatched numerous invoices for Keyes’ legal service fees totaling $15,500. When Keyes received the settlement look at, he did not tell his clients, and the check out was used to the exceptional invoices, the report reported.
When Kelly Regulation Firm learned of Keyes’ steps, the agency paid $13,000 to people clients and confronted Keyes, who did not deny mishandling the resources, the report claimed. Keyes repaid the agency. He was fired soon just after, according to the report.
The commission uncovered that Keyes told 10 other shoppers to make initial payments for authorized solutions in the kind of checks made payable to him personally. Rather than depositing the checks in the firm’s account, he commingled or misappropriated the checks by depositing them in his private bank account prior to earning authorized expenses, the report stated.
Keyes reported the allegations transpired in close proximity to the conclude of this time as an lawyer. He was a personal-exercise civil litigator.
Kelly Law Firm said Keyes was fired in February 2020 and the company filed a grievance with the attorney grievance fee shortly following.
Keyes explained subsequent his termination, he ongoing to follow law at his personal business office in Fort Gratiot.
John Adair, a member of Kelly Law Company, said Keyes was employed with the firm for about 30 years.
“For far more than 30 yrs, our agency has developed a stable standing for providing clientele with valued authorized counsel constructed on a basis of honesty, and integrity, and rely on. When we learned of Mr. Keyes’ unethical conduct we took swift and instant motion to expel him from the Firm, notify the right authorities, and work with impacted purchasers,” according to a published statement from Kelly Law Firm. “We respect the choice of the Attorney Self-discipline Board for his disbarment from the observe of legislation, just as we respect the ethical follow of the legislation and the wonderful accountability and duty that entails.”
Get hold of Laura Fitzgerald at (810) 941-7072 or at [email protected]