On Friday, September 30, 2022, the Hearing Board of the Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission ruled on charges for attorney discipline against Chicago attorney William Joseph Delaney alleging misappropriation of client funds and failure to cooperate with the ARDC investigation.
The case, titled In the Matter of William Joseph Delaney, was brought by the Administrator of the Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission. Case #2022PR00031.
The charges cited Delaney’s violations of Rules 1.15(a), 1.15(d), 8.1(B), 8.4(c), and (d) of the Illinois Rules of Professional Conduct.
On April 25, 2022, Jerome Larkin, Administrator of the ARDC filed a five-count complaint before the Hearing Board. Count I relates to the conversion of $21,601.07 funds belonging to his client Mr. De Palma. Count II involves the unauthorized use of the credit card of his client Markel American Insurance Company for Respondent’s personal and/or business expenses. Count III is in relation to his failure to hold funds separate and conversion of $49.901.36 – 1300 West Randolph matter. Count IV also involves the conversion of client funds amounting to $249,901.36 belonging to his client, Mr. Curley. The fifth count is for Respondent’s failure to cooperate with the ARDC investigation.
The Administrator, in its Complaint, alleges that Respondent has engaged in misconduct in all five counts and requests “that this matter be assigned to a panel of the Hearing Board, that a hearing panel be held, and that the panel make findings of fact, conclusions of fact and law, and a recommendation for such discipline as is warranted.”
Respondent did not file an Answer to the Complaint, nor did he file a response to the Administrator’s Motion to Deem the Allegations of the Administrator’s Complaint Admitted Pursuant to Commission Rule 236. Thus, in finding misconduct, the Hearing Board Panel considered the Administrator’s five-count Complaint, deeming the allegations and charges of the Complaint admitted.
According to the Report and Recommendation of the Hearing Board:
“The allegations deemed admitted establish as follows: In three separate matters, Respondent failed to promptly distribute funds belonging to clients or third parties and, instead, used the funds for his own personal or business purposes, without authority. In total, Respondent misappropriated $321,403.79 from clients or third parties in those three matters. By this conduct,Respondent violated Rules 1.15(a),1.15(d), and 8.4(c). In a fourth matter, Respondent charged his client’s credit card $10,000 when he knew the client had only authorized him to charge $2,500 for legal fees and failed to refund the overbilled amount of $7,500 to his client. By this conduct, Respondent violated Rule 8.4(c).”
The Hearing Board recommended that Respondent be disbarred and concluded that the report will adequately and appropriately communicate its recommendation to the Court.
Mr. Delaney is the founding partner of Delaney Law. He practices in Chicago, Illinois. Delaney earned his Juris Doctor from the Chicago-Kent College of Law. He has been licensed in Illinois, license #6269205. His info can be found on LinkedIn.
A copy of the original filing can be found here.
