On Monday, November 25, 2024, the Supreme Court of Minnesota suspended attorney William H. Henney from practicing law for a minimum of 60 days due to professional misconduct. The court’s decision came after a petition for disciplinary action was filed by the Director of the Office of Lawyers Professional Responsibility, which detailed multiple violations of legal ethics by Henney.
The case is entitled “In the Matter of William H. Henney,” with case no. A24-1132.
The charges cited Minnesota Rules of Professional Conduct 1.7(a)(1), 1.7(a)(2), 1.8(a), 3.3(a), 4.1, 8.1(a), and 8.4(c).
The allegations against Henney included representing clients with conflicting interests, failing to disclose necessary information in a business transaction, and making knowingly false statements to the court and other parties involved. These actions violated several provisions of the Minnesota Rules of Professional Conduct.
Henne has a history of disciplinary actions, including five prior admonitions. His recent misconduct involved representing two clients with opposing interests and obtaining an ownership stake in property that conflicted with one client’s interests without proper notification. Additionally, Henney misled the court about his knowledge of the ownership during litigation related to these matters.
As part of the disciplinary agreement, Henney has waived his procedural rights and admitted to the allegations. The court accepted the joint recommendation for discipline, which includes the suspension followed by two years of unsupervised probation. During the suspension, Henney is required to notify clients and opposing counsel about his status and must pay $900 in costs associated with the disciplinary proceedings.
Following the suspension, Henney may seek reinstatement, provided he meets certain conditions, including proof of compliance with continuing legal education requirements and successful completion of the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination within one year of the order.
The Disposition states:
“IT IS HEREBY ORDERED THAT: Respondent William H. Henney is suspended from the practice of law for a minimum of 60 days, effective 14 days from the date of this order.”
According to avvo.com, Mr. Henney is a corporate & incorporation attorney in Shorewood, Minnesota. He attended the William Mitchell College of Law. He acquired his law license in Minnesota in 1982.
A copy of the original filing can be found here.
