On Tuesday, February 10, 2026, the District of Columbia Court of Appeals suspended attorney Zachary Kester on an interim basis, following disciplinary actions imposed in Indiana. This development follows an earlier suspension of Kester’s Indiana law license, as reported by AlabNews.

The Indiana Supreme Court had suspended Kester’s license for 60 days, starting October 1, 2025, due to professional misconduct. The ruling stemmed from Kester’s actions during his time as managing attorney, executive director, or chief executive officer at Charitable Allies, Inc. (CA), a company that markets itself as providing affordable legal services to nonprofits.

The case, titled “In the Matter of Zachary S. Kester,” case number 24S-DI-153, originated from CA’s representation of the Down Syndrome Association of Northwest Indiana, Inc. (DSA) in 2019. DSA had hired CA to recover funds allegedly misappropriated by its former executive director. A dispute arose regarding CA’s billing practices, with DSA expressing concerns over the high fees.

After DSA terminated CA’s services in October 2021, Kester filed an attorney fee lien in January 2022, seeking over $56,000, representing the purported difference between billed fees and fair market value. The lien was filed without prior notice to DSA. DSA’s successor counsel moved to remove the lien, and Kester responded by attempting to disqualify the successor counsel. The trial court sided with DSA, a decision Kester appealed. The Court of Appeals affirmed the trial court’s decision and ordered Kester to pay DSA’s appellate attorney fees. Kester also sued DSA’s successor counsel, a suit he later dismissed. DSA subsequently sued Kester and CA, which was settled for $75,000.

The Indiana Supreme Court found that Kester violated Indiana Professional Conduct Rules, including charging unreasonable fees, asserting positions without a non-frivolous basis, and engaging in conduct prejudicial to the administration of justice. During the period between the order’s service and the start of his suspension, Kester was barred from taking on new legal matters and was required to fulfill the duties of a suspended attorney.

Following the suspension, Kester was to be automatically reinstated, provided no other suspensions were in effect. He was also held responsible for the costs of the disciplinary proceedings. The DC Bar’s decision to suspend Kester is documented as Docket No. 2025-D175.

According to Avvo, Mr. Kester is a tax attorney in Indianapolis, Indiana. He attended the Indiana University School of Law, Bloomington, graduating in 2009. He acquired his law license in DC in 2013.

A copy of the original filing can be found here.