NEW ORLEANS — New Orleans attorney Romualdo “Romi” Gonzalez was publicly reprimanded by the Louisiana Attorney Disciplinary Board at the recommendation of the Office of Disciplinary Counsel following an investigation into misconduct complaints against the attorney.
Court documents allege that the attorney did not correctly supervise non-attorney staff at his firm, Braden, Gonzalez and Associates. In another count, Gonzalez allegedly did not properly handle his client trust account. The court ruling for the disciplinary proceedings, which was filed Feb. 24, does not go into detail on either matter.
In addition to the attorney’s public reprimand, Gonzalez will be required to attend the Louisiana State Bar Association's Ethics School and Trust Accounting School and will be responsible for all court costs.
Gonzalez is a partner at the law firm Braden, Gonzalez, & Associates, where he specializes in civil litigation and immigration matters. Information provided by the attorney on his firm’s webpage stated that Gonzalez is a native of Cuba who was admitted to the Louisiana State Bar in 1973. The firm also represents clients in automobile-accident cases, traffic issues, family law, and bankruptcy filings.
The 14 members of the LADB are made up of volunteers appointed by the Supreme Court. The Louisiana State Bar Association nominates one member per year who has previous experience in disciplining attorneys. In addition, four members of the general public with “diverse backgrounds” will be on the board. The term for each member is three years, no more than two consecutive terms per member are allowed
The Louisiana Supreme Court is located in New Orleans and was established in 1813 as the highest court in the state, according to the court's website. The court is presided over by seven justices: Chief Justice Bernette Joshua Johnson, who was appointed in February 2013; Greg G. Guidry; Scott Crichton; James T. Genovese; Marcus R. Clark; Jefferson D. Hughes III; and John L. Weimer.