On January 24, 2023, the Supreme Court of New Jersey reprimanded attorney George N. Pappas for failure to cooperate with the authorities during the conduct of an investigation of his misconduct.
The case is entitled “In the matter of George N. Pappas” and was brought by the District VI Ethics Committee with case no. D-108.
The charges cited New Jersey Rules of Professional Conduct 8.1(b) which states:
Knowingly withholding the requested documents from the OAE in an attempt to compel them to act on its unrelated investigation of his alleged unauthorized practice of law in New York.
On a Decision dated February 17, 2022, it was stated that the respondent failed to provide his cooperation on the OAE’s investigation. He also disrespected the Disciplinary process and improperly attempt to leverage his non-cooperation to force the OAE to resolve an unrelated investigation to his satisfaction. The OAE’s investigation is in regard to a matter where the respondent represented a client in New York who isn’t licensed to practice his profession therefore committing misconduct for unauthorized practice of law.
The filing states:
“On October 6, 2017, the OAE sent respondent a letter, enclosing the FAC’s determination and requiring that he reply, in writing, by October 20, 2017, to the FAC’s allegations that he had engaged in the unauthorized practice of law in New York. On October 24, 2017, following the respondent’s failure to reply, the OAE sent the respondent a second letter, reminding him of his obligation to cooperate and requiring that he reply, in writing, to the FAC’s allegations by November 3, 20 17. In an October 25, 2017 letter to the OAE, the respondent explained the scope of his representation in Arachovitis’s failed New York gas station lease; stressed that he only appeared as a witness in Arachovitis’s Nassau County small claim.”
The filing continues:
“On April 18, 2018, following the respondent’s failure to reply to the OAE’s March 28 correspondence, the OAE sent the respondent another letter, informing him that unless he provided the requested documents by May 1, 2018, the OAE would file an ethics complaint for his failure to cooperate, in violation of RPC 8.1(b). Respondent again failed to reply. Consequently, the OAE could not complete its investigation of (1) the respondent’s unclaimed trust account funds; (2) the jewelry he maintained in his safe deposit box; (3) his estate accounts; (4) his powers of attorney; and (5) his involvement in the trust for two children.”
The filing further states:
“Significantly, because of his disagreement with the FAC’s unrelated determination regarding his involvement in Arachovitis’s failed New York gas station lease, respondent admitted, in his testimony at the ethics hearing, that he intentionally ignored the OAE’s document requests regarding his recordkeeping and trust account issues “to force the [OAE]” to provide him written notice that he did not “engage in the unauthorized practice of law.”
According to the OAE, despite the respondent’s lack of prior discipline, the respondent’s persistent noncooperation for more than four(4) years since the OAE’s initial, is similar to some cases where the sanction for the misconduct is a reprimand.
The Supreme Court agreed with the sanction, thus an Order was issued reprimanding attorney George N. Pappas.
As of today, Mr. Pappas is listed as the Owner of the Law firm George N. Pappas. His info can be found on Linkedin. He attended Catholic University, graduating in 1967. He practices in Hoboken, New Jersey, and is licensed in the same state.
A copy of the original filing can be found here.
