On Thursday, September 21, 2023, the Supreme Court of Illinois entered an order in the case of attorney Matthew Eric Gurvey, denying his petition for leave to file exceptions to the report and recommendation of the Review Board. As a result, the court disbarred Gurvey as recommended by the Review Board.
The case is entitled “In the Matter of Matthew Eric Gurvey,” with case no. 031829.
On May 11, 2023, the Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission recommended the disbarment of attorney Gurvey for dishonesty, fraud, and deceit. The disciplinary complaint against Gurvey alleged that he acted dishonestly by converting $25,000 for his own benefit, which he had agreed to hold as part of a real estate transaction. According to the filing, Gurvey never transferred the money to purchase the property as agreed and instead spent it for his personal purposes without authority. As a result, the sale of the property to the buyer never took place, and Gurvey’s client lost the opportunity to purchase the property.
The filing also stated that Gurvey began spending the money as soon as he received it, using it for personal expenses such as restaurants, bills, and personal items. When asked to return the money, Gurvey gave a check that was rejected due to insufficient funds, which he knew would not clear the bank. The Hearing Board recommended that Gurvey be disbarred, and the Review Board agreed with this recommendation. The Review Board found that the Hearing Board did not err concerning the aggravating factors and that the limited mitigating factors were not sufficient to offset the need for disbarment.
In its order, the Illinois Supreme Court denied Matthew Eric Gurvey’s petition and upheld the Review Board’s recommendation, resulting in Gurvey’s disbarment. With this decision, Gurvey is no longer authorized to practice law in the state of Illinois.
According to avvo.com, Mr. Gurvey practiced in Chicago, Illinois prior to his disbarment.
A copy of the original filing can be found here.
