On Tuesday, June 24, 2025, the Ad Hoc Hearing Committee of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals Board on Professional Responsibility recommended a one-year suspension for attorney Bryan S. Ross due to professional misconduct in multiple bankruptcy cases. The recommendation follows a negotiated discipline agreement in which Ross admitted to violating rules of professional conduct in the District of Columbia, Virginia, and Maryland.

The case is entitled “In the Matter of Bryan S. Ross,” with case no. 24-ND-005.

Ross has served as counsel in numerous bankruptcy matters across the District of Columbia, Maryland, and the Eastern District of Virginia. He also acted as a panel trustee for the U.S. Trustee in D.C. for over 40 years until his resignation in June 2023. The misconduct centers on his undisclosed financial arrangement with Tranzon Fox, a real estate auction and brokerage firm involved in bankruptcy cases.

In 2013, Ross entered into an agreement with Tranzon Fox, under which he received a percentage of the company’s commissions for referring bankruptcy cases. Between 2014 and 2021, Ross referred 18 cases in D.C., Maryland, and Virginia, receiving fees in 17 of them. Neither Ross nor Tranzon disclosed these referral fees or Ross’s involvement in the employment applications submitted to the bankruptcy courts, violating disclosure requirements under Bankruptcy Rule 2014. In two cases where Ross served as a Chapter 7 trustee, he noted a consulting arrangement with Tranzon but claimed no fees were paid in those instances, though courts later found his disclosures insufficient.

The issue came to light in 2020 when the U.S. Trustee discovered Ross’s involvement in a D.C. case, In re 1006 Webster, LLC. Time records revealed discussions between Ross and the debtor’s counsel on behalf of Tranzon. Further investigation, including testimony from Tranzon’s principal, Jeff Stein, confirmed the fee-sharing arrangement, which violated Bankruptcy Code Section 504. In the 1006 Webster case, Tranzon agreed to pay $32,400 to the bankruptcy estate, representing the fees paid to Ross, and amended its employment application to disclose his involvement.

In a separate case, In re Tigist Kebede in the Eastern District of Virginia, the court issued a show cause order in December 2022 after learning of the undisclosed fees. Ross initially claimed he had no role in preparing Tranzon’s employment application, but emails later showed he advised on the application and addressed objections from the U.S. Trustee. The court found Ross violated Bankruptcy Rule 9011 by engaging in “ghostwriting” and making false representations. Ross agreed to disgorge $9,150, the fee he received in the case, as a sanction.

In May 2023, the D.C. Bankruptcy Court opened a proceeding against Ross, citing concerns over his lack of corrective action. Ross offered to disgorge $30,000 in fees from four other D.C. cases and resigned as a panel trustee. The court referred the matter to Maryland bankruptcy judges and the federal court’s Committee on Judicial Conduct, but allowed Ross to continue in five pending asset cases nearing completion.

The Hearing Committee found Ross violated D.C. Rules of Professional Conduct 8.4(c) for dishonesty and 8.4(d) for interfering with justice, along with equivalent rules in Virginia and Maryland. Aggravating factors include a prior 30-day suspension in 1995 for commingling funds. Mitigating factors include Ross’s cooperation, fee disgorgement, resignation, and acceptance of responsibility.

The committee concluded that the one-year suspension is justified, pending court approval.

The recommendation states:

“For the reasons stated above, it is the recommendation of this Hearing Committee that the negotiated discipline be approved and that the Court suspend Respondent from the practice of law for one year.”

According to Avvo.com, Mr. Ross is an attorney in Washington, DC. He attended the Delaware Law School. He acquired his law license in D.C. in 1979. 

A copy of the original filing can be found here.