On Monday, September 16, 2024, the Supreme Court of New Jersey issued an order reinstating attorney Richard C. Gordon to the practice of law in the state.
The case is entitled “In the Matter of Richard C. Gordon,” with case no. 089852.
Gordon had been suspended from practicing law in the state for three months by a November 2021 Supreme Court order. This suspension stemmed from the discipline Gordon received in Connecticut.
According to the April 2021 decision by New Jersey’s Disciplinary Review Board, Gordon received four reprimands from Connecticut authorities between 2014 and 2018 related to his legal work in that state. While not barred in Connecticut, Gordon was found to have violated that state’s equivalents of New Jersey ethics rules regarding diligence, communication with clients, unreasonable fees, unauthorized practice of law, and failure to cooperate with disciplinary investigations.
The Connecticut disciplinary matters included Gordon charging an unreasonable $1,700 fee for a case where he was not licensed to practice in that state, failing to respond to two ethics grievances, withdrawing a client’s appeal without consent which abdicated his duties as an attorney, and failing to properly communicate with a client about the status of her case.
New Jersey agreed to impose reciprocal discipline based on the Connecticut orders. While individual violations may have warranted minor penalties, the state determined Gordon’s past ethics infractions and failures to properly address prior disciplinary actions rose to the level of a three-month suspension.
Nearly three years later, Gordon petitioned for reinstatement to practice law in New Jersey. The DRB reviewed Gordon’s petition and recommended reinstatement. On September 16, 2024, the Supreme Court issued the Order reinstating Gordon.
According to the filing, Mr. Gordon acquired his law license in 2000.
A copy of the original filing can be found here.
