On Wednesday, October 4, 2022, a Panel of the Grievance Commission of the State of Maine ruled on the Stipulated Formal Disciplinary Charges Petition filed by the Board of Overseers of the Bar (the Board) relating to charges for attorney discipline against Beaver Cove attorney Pasquale J. Perrino, Jr., Esq.
The case titled ‘Board of Overseers of the Bar v. Pasquale J. Perrino, Jr., Esq. was brought by the Board of Overseers of the Bar, Docket No. GCF #21-074.
The charges cited Perrino’s violation of Rule 1.8(j) of the Maine Rules of Professional Conduct, which state:
A lawyer shall not have sexual relations with a client unless a consensual sexual relationship existed between them when the client-lawyer relationship commenced.
According to the filing:
“On September 20, 2022, with due notice, a Panel of the Grievance Commission conducted a public disciplinary hearing pursuant to Maine Bar Rule 13(e), concerning misconduct by the Respondent, Pasquale J. Perrino, Jr., Esq. THe Board of Overseers of the Bar (the Board) commenced this proceeding by the filing of a Stipulated Formal Disciplinary Charges Petition.”
The filing continues:
“Prior to the scheduled hearing date, the parties notified the Grievance Commission that they had negotiated a proposed settlement of the disciplinary matter. The proposed Stipulated Report of Findings and Order was submitted to the Clerk for the Commission’s advance review and consideration.”
Based on the agreed proposed settlement, the Court finds the following relevant facts:
“On or about March 24, 2021, D.I. (the “Complainant”) filed a complaint with the Board against Attorney Perrino. In that complaint, D.I. stated that she had retained Attorney Perrino to represent her in a divorce case from her husband, and then again in a post-judgment matter, and that during that time, a “personal relationship” had developed between them. based upon information provided by D.I. during the investigation, that is not contested by Attorney Perrino, Attorney Perrino began representing D.I. as her attorney in May of 2018. Thereafter, in March of 2019, D.I. and Attorney Perrino began a consensual sexual relationship with each other, which lasted for some time.”
Attorney Perrino does not contest that he violated the Rule in his relationship with D.I. He agrees that his misconduct violated duties that he owed to his client and to the profession.
Accordingly, the Panel Commission, having reviewed the agreed proposed findings, the aggravating and mitigating factors, and the analysis outlined in Maine Bar Rule 21(c), concluded that Public Reprimand to Pasquale J. Perrino, Jr. Esq. is the appropriate disposition of this case.
The Order reads:
“1. Attorney Perrino is hereby REPRIMANDED by the Grievance Commission pursuant to Maine Bar Rule 21(b)(5).
2. As a condition of this Reprimand, in the event that Attorney Perrino applies for emeritus status to provide pro bono services, he shall be required to disclose the existence of this Reprimand to any legal service organization with which he will be working.”
Mr. Perrino graduated from the New England School of Law in 1970. He practices in Beaver Cove, Maine. He has been licensed in Maine. His info can be found on Avvo.
A copy of the original filing can be found here.
