On Friday, February 24, 2023, the Supreme Court of California suspended attorney Matthew Scott Pappas. The case is entitled “In the Matter of Matthew Scott Pappas,” with case no. s277906.

The charges cited California’s former Rules of Professional Conduct, Rule 3-700(A)(2), Business and Professions Code section 6103 and 6068(m) which states:

Improper withdrawal from employment.

Failure to obey a court order.

Failure to Inform the client of significant developments.

In a notice of disciplinary charges issued on June 18, 2020, the respondent was charged with three counts of misconduct; failure to obey a court order; improper withdrawal from employment, and; failure to inform the client of significant developments.

The filing states:

“Respondent disobeyed or violated an order of the court requiring the respondent to do or forbear an act connected with or in the course of the respondent’s profession, which respondent knew was final and binding and which respondent ought in good faith to do or forbear by failing to comply with a February 13, 2018 court order which ordered the respondent to pay $1,000 to the court in monetary sanctions due to his failure to appear at a hearing on behalf of his client.”

The filing continues:

“Respondent failed, upon the termination of employment, to take reasonable steps to avoid reasonably foreseeable prejudice to the respondent’s client, Fresh Wilmington Bud, Inc., by constructively terminating the respondent’s employment by failing to take any action on the client’s behalf after on or about March 16, 2015, and thereafter failing to inform the client that respondent was withdrawing from employment, in willful violation of the former Rules of Professional Conduct, rule 3-700(A)(2).”

The filing further states:

“Respondent failed to keep respondent’s client, Fresh Wilmington Bud, Inc. (“client”) reasonably informed of significant developments in the matter entitled, The People of the State of California v. Fresh Wilmington Bud, lnc.; Dennis Waller, filed in the County of Los Angeles, case number NCO59905, in which the respondent had agreed to provide legal services.”

On November 2, 2022, the State Bar of California hearing department in a decision and order sealing certain documents, recommended that the respondent be suspended from the practice of law. According to the State Bar, the respondent already recognized the wrongfulness of his conduct and already took steps to address the underlying mental health issues that contributed to his misconduct. In that effort, he has now successfully completed ADP.

The filing additionally notes:

“Furthermore, at the time Respondent engaged in his misconduct, he was suffering from mental health issues that directly caused or contributed to the misconduct forming the basis of this proceeding. Supreme Court and Review Department case law establish that extreme emotional difficulties are a mitigating factor where expert testimony establishes that those emotional difficulties were directly responsible for the misconduct, provided that the attorney has also established, through clear and convincing evidence that he or she no longer suffers from such difficulties.”

In lieu of the factual findings, the decision and order of the State Bar, and the discussion of the court, the latter decided to suspend the attorney from the practice of law.

The Disposition states:

“The court orders that Matthew Scott Pappas (Respondent), State Bar Number 171860, is suspended from the practice of law in California for one year, execution of that period of suspension is stayed, and Respondent is placed on probation for one year.”

Mr. Pappas attended the Western State University COL. He practices in Lake Forest, California. He is licensed in California with license no. 171860. His info can be found on lawyersjustia.com.

A copy of the original filing can be found here.