On Thursday, October 23, 2025, the Louisiana Attorney Disciplinary Board recommended that attorney Daniel B. Barzare be suspended from practicing law for one year and one day, mandating his attendance at the Louisiana State Bar Association (LSBA) Ethics School before reinstatement. This recommendation stems from formal charges filed against Barzare by the Office of Disciplinary Counsel (ODC) on March 21, 2024, alleging violations of the Rules of Professional Conduct.
The case is entitled “In the Matter of Daniel B. Barzare,” with case number 24-DB-009.
The charges involve a business transaction with a client, Geraldine M. Stelly, whom Barzare represented in a partition of a marital community. Stelly claimed that Barzare solicited loans from her totaling $25,000 during his representation, which he purportedly never repaid. The ODC further alleged that Barzare failed to properly document these transactions or advise Stelly to seek independent legal counsel.
According to Stelly’s complaint, Barzare initially requested a $5,000 loan in the summer of 2020, followed by subsequent requests. She claimed to have cashed in stocks to provide the funds, with Barzare allegedly promising to cover any associated tax liabilities. However, Stelly stated that Barzare did not reduce the loan agreements to writing, nor did he ever repay the loans or reimburse her for the taxes.
Barzare initially denied the payments were loans, claiming they were advances on his attorney fees, which he estimated at $105,000. However, he later admitted to borrowing the money from Stelly, acknowledging the absence of a written agreement.
The formal charges against Barzare were deemed admitted after he failed to respond within the prescribed timeframe. The Hearing Committee assigned to the matter concluded that Barzare violated Rules 1.8(a), 8.4(a), and 8.4(c) of the Louisiana Rules of Professional Conduct. The Committee initially recommended a three-year suspension with restitution to Stelly, including loan principal, tax penalties, and judicial interest.
The Disciplinary Board, however, modified the recommendation, suggesting a one-year and one-day suspension, ethics school attendance, and assessment of costs and expenses. The Board’s decision followed a remand from the Louisiana Supreme Court, which directed the Board to specifically assess whether the alleged violations of Rules 1.8(a) and 8.4(c) had been proven by clear and convincing evidence.
While the Board agreed that Barzare violated Rule 1.8(a) by failing to properly document the loan transactions and advise Stelly to seek independent counsel, it partially disagreed with the Committee’s assessment regarding Rule 8.4(c), which prohibits conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit, or misrepresentation.
The Board found that Barzare intentionally misrepresented to Stelly that he was requesting loans when his intent was to take the money as advances against his fee. However, the Board did not find that Barzare failed to repay the amounts loaned by Stelly as the $25,000 was deducted in the fee calculation when the partition matter was settled.
According to Avvo, Mr. Barzare is a lawyer in Ville Platte, LA. He acquired his law license in Florida in 1988.
A copy of the original filing can be found here.
