Board of Overseers of the Bar v. William L. Dawson, Jr., Esq.

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Docket No.: BAR-13-23

Issued by: Maine Supreme Judicial Court

Date: Decmeber 16, 2013

Respondent: William L. Dawson, Jr., Esq.

Bar Number: 006887

Order: Consent Order

Disposition/Conduct: Conditions imposed on right to practice.

CONSENT ORDER

After conference of counsel and the Court, with the Board of Overseers of the Bar represented by Bar Counsel J. Scott Davis, and William L. Dawson represented by Peter DeTroy and J.D. Hadiaris, and upon consideration, the following is ORDERED, by prior consent of the parties.

  1. William L. Dawson, Jr. is an attorney admitted to practice in the State of Maine.

  2. On October 11, 2013, the Board of Overseers of the Bar initiated a Grievance Complaint against Attorney Dawson.

  3. The Grievance Complaint was docketed as GCF #13 -307, and the matter is currently pending investigation by Bar Counsel and review by a Panel of the Grievance Commission under M. Bar R. 7.1(d).

  4. On November 21, 2013, the Board filed its Petition for Temporary Suspension of Attorney Dawson in the above-docketed matter.

  5. Pending the outcome of GCF #13 ? 307, the following conditions will be immediately imposed upon Attorney Dawson?s license to practice law in the State of Maine:

- Attorney Dawson will not act under a Power of Attorney for any individuals;

- Attorney Dawson will not manage the finances or otherwise control any client funds;

- Attorney Dawson agrees to cooperate with an independent audit, by an auditor selected by the Board, of Attorney Dawson?s checking, savings and bank accounts, and of all matters in which Attorney Dawson has acted in a fiduciary capacity, including IOLTA accounts, at any time within the last three calendar years; and

- Attorney Dawson shall comply with such order issued by the Court for payment of that audit; and

- Attorney Dawson shall otherwise cooperate with Bar Counsel?s investigation of this grievance complaint matter.

  1. Attorney Dawson has provided an affidavit in which he has sworn that his client trust account contains only the following items:

a. Funds related to a special needs trust;

b. Funds from dividends related to an estate matter (Waldo County Probate Court Docket No. 2005-170), pending distribution to devisee(s); and

c. Funds related to another estate matter (Waldo County Probate Court Docket No. 2010-37), pending distribution.

Attorney Dawson agrees to, within 14 days of the date of this Consent Order, transfer all of the above-described respective funds contained in his client trust account to the owners and/or custodian(s) of the said funds, in compliance with this Order.

This Consent Order is issued without prejudice to either party to argue their respective positions as part of the aforementioned grievance proceeding. If Attorney Dawson complies with this Consent Order, the Board?s Petition for Temporary Suspension will be deferred pending the processing of GCF #13-039. Nothing shall preclude Bar Counsel from taking further action as appropriate, upon the discovery or disclosure of additional information warranting any such action.

Donald G. Alexander, Associate Justice

Maine Supreme Judicial Court