On Monday, May 5, 2025, the Virginia State Bar issued a public reprimand with terms to Attorney John Lewis Taylor III for professional misconduct in a fair housing lawsuit.

The case is entitled “In the Matter of John Lewis Taylor III,” with case no. 24-033-131671.

The decision, detailed in a Third District, Section III Subcommittee determination, stemmed from Taylor’s representation of My Home Properties, LLC, Annika Schunn, and Gisa-Beate Schunn in a case filed by Assistant Attorney General Todd M. Shockley and Senior Assistant Attorney General Christine L. Johnson. The lawsuit, initiated on September 20, 2022, in Richmond Circuit Court, alleged discriminatory housing practices by the defendants.

Taylor entered an appearance for all three defendants but never communicated directly with Annika Schunn. He relied on a letter from her authorizing Gisa Schunn to represent her interests regarding the property in question. During an interview with the bar’s investigator, Taylor described the case as a landlord-tenant dispute, though the investigator clarified it was a fair housing lawsuit.

On March 23, 2023, the complainants issued discovery requests to the defendants, with responses due by April 14, 2023. Taylor’s file contained these requests, but he submitted an incomplete response for My Home Properties, LLC, and no responses for the individual defendants. This led to a motion for a discovery order filed by the complainants on July 17, 2023, which also sought attorney’s fees. On April 5, 2023, the complainants filed a motion for sanctions, noting the continued lack of adequate responses.

At an August 23, 2023, hearing, Taylor acknowledged possessing responsive materials and promised to provide them, but no further discovery was submitted. On August 30, 2023, the court ordered all defendants to produce discovery by September 12, 2023, and awarded $929.85 in attorney’s fees to the Commonwealth. Taylor failed to inform his clients of these orders and did not comply with the discovery deadline.

On September 26, 2023, the complainants moved for sanctions and a default judgment due to ongoing non-compliance. At a November 9, 2023, hearing, which Taylor did not attend, the court verbally granted the motions. Taylor could not explain his absence to the bar’s investigator. The court instructed Shockley to draft an order for Taylor’s review, sent on December 9, 2023, but Taylor did not respond. On January 17, 2024, the court entered a default judgment against the defendants, effective November 9, 2023, without Taylor’s signature.

Taylor also failed to respond to requests for deposition dates for Annika and Gisa Schunn, made by Shockley on December 20, 2023, and followed up on January 2 and 3, 2024. On January 25, 2024, Shockley scheduled depositions for February 28, 2024, but Taylor did not inform his clients. He notified Shockley of their non-attendance only on the evening of February 27, 2024. Taylor later advised Gisa Schunn to seek new counsel, admitting he had not completed necessary tasks, but did not disclose the default judgment.

New counsel appeared for Annika Schunn on April 30, 2024, moving to vacate the default judgment, arguing improper service and lack of authorization for Taylor’s representation. The motion was denied. On May 1, 2024, new counsel was substituted for all defendants, who were left with limited options due to Taylor’s inaction. The $929.85 attorney’s fees award was waived by the complainants.

The Virginia State Bar found Taylor in violation of Rules 1.1 (Competence), 1.3(a) (Diligence), and 1.4(a) (Communication) of the Rules of Professional Conduct. The reprimand requires Taylor to contact the Judges and Lawyers Assistance Program (JLAP) within 30 days for an evaluation, follow its recommendations, and, if advised, enter a contract with JLAP within 90 days. JLAP will report compliance to bar counsel, with non-compliance potentially leading to further disciplinary action. The bar noted Taylor’s personal loss—his triplet brother’s death in June 2023—as a traumatic event.

The Disposition states:

“Accordingly, it is the decision of the Subcommittee to impose a Public Reprimand with Terms.”

A copy of the original filing can be found here.