On Tuesday, September 17, 2024, the Supreme Court of Georgia disbarred attorney Cory D. Raines.
The case is entitled “In the Matter of Cory D. Raines” with case numbers S24Y0996 and S24Y0997.
The Court accepted the recommendation of special master Charles D. Jones to disbar Raines from the practice of law due to multiple rule violations related to mishandling client funds. Raines was found to have violated standards regarding properly safeguarding money belonging to clients and third parties.
The disciplinary proceedings against Raines were consolidated and considered together by the Court. He was found to be in default after failing to respond to formal complaints filed by the State Bar of Georgia. As a result, the allegations against him were deemed admitted.
Specifically, Raines settled personal injury cases for two sets of clients but did not properly disburse the settlement funds. In one case, he delayed payment to the clients for almost a year and withdrew their money for his own use. In another, he failed to promptly satisfy the medical liens of third parties owed money from the case.
Raines did not attend hearings on aggravating and mitigating factors surrounding his conduct. The special master found many aggravating factors applied, including a pattern of misconduct across multiple clients. Though Raines had no prior disciplinary record, the Court determined this was outweighed by his serious violations.
Given the intentional nature of Raines’ misconduct, the harm caused to clients, and the precedent in similar past cases, the Supreme Court of Georgia decided disbarment was the appropriate sanction. His name will be removed from the roll of attorneys licensed to practice in the state.
According to Avvo, Mr. Raines was a communications and media attorney in Atlanta, Georgia. He obtained his law license in Georgia in 2015.
A copy of the original filing can be found here.
