Disbarred attorney sued for reimbursement of disbarment proceedings

DONALDSONVILLE – An Ascension Parish attorney who was recently disbarred has been sued for reimbursement of filing fees related to his disbarment.

The Louisiana Attorney Disciplinary Board filed suit on Jan. 18 in the 23rd Judicial District Court against August L. Gomez.

The board claims Gomez is obligated to repay $3,154.86 for costs and expenses related to his disbarment. Gomez was disbarred on Nov. 1, 2011, and is alleged to have not responded to requests for payment of the costs of the disciplinary hearings.

According to March 2010 disciplinary proceedings from the Louisiana Supreme Court, the Louisiana Attorney Disciplinary Board received its first complaint against Gomez in October 2003 when he represented Lordez Lewis King in an employment discrimination case.

In that complaint Gomez is alleged to have taken $5,000 from his client and then failed to oppose a motion to dismiss the case in time.

In that case, Gomez applied for an extension on medical grounds, but was denied when he was unable to produce sufficient evidence of his illness. Due to the complaint, Gomez was suspended from practicing law for one year and King was awarded a judgment against him in the amount of her $5,000 retainer fee plus applied legal expenses, however, records show Gomez still owes King $573.98.

The second complaint against Gomez came in January 2004 when he was representing Evelyn Watkins in a number of cases including a dispute with a mausoleum over her recently deceased husband's burial expenses, a dispute with a car repair company and against her mortgage lender who was nearing foreclosure on her house.

Gomez was accused of only filing a demand letter to the car repair shop on Watkins' behalf. The defendant is alleged to have taken $13,000 from Watkins in the mortgage case, which he refused to return to her.

In a third complaint, Dr. William Dear claimed to have treated one of Gomez's personal injury clients and when funds were set aside for Dr. Dear when the case was settled, Gomez never reimbursed the treatment.

Finally, a fourth complaint was made against Gomez by Gary LeBlanc in May 2004 in an undisclosed matter to which Gomez never responded.

The board is being represented by Wayne A. Maiorana of Metairie-based Newman, Mathis, Brady and Spedale.

The case has been assigned to Division E Judge Alvin Turner, Jr.

Case number 102439