New Orleans attorney Greta L. Wilson has been disbarred following a June 5 Louisiana Supreme Court disciplinary proceeding over allegations in two client matters that included filing a motion on behalf a client without that client’s authorization.
The court disbarred Wilson and ordered her to pay restitution, according to nine-page disciplinary proceeding.
Wilson was admitted to the bar in Louisiana on Oct. 6, 1989, according to her profile at the state bar website. Leigh has had no other discipline before the state bar, according to the state high court's disciplinary proceeding.
In one client matter, Wilson was alleged to have filed an ex parte motion in January 2014 to enroll as counsel of record for the sole purpose of withdrawing funds deposited in connection with ongoing litigation, according to the disciplinary proceeding. In February 2014, a check for about $33,220 was issued payable that client and the following month the check was negotiated and bore the "purported endorsements" of Wilson and the client, the disciplinary proceeding said. The client "never hired or even met", Wilson, the proceeding said.
In another client matter, Wilson was alleged to have received in May 2013 a check for about $20,140, to which she allegedly affixed the client’s signature and deposited that amount into her trust account, according to the disciplinary proceeding. The client did not receive the funds until he retained other counsel who sent Wilson a demand letter in January 2014, to which Wilson complied the following month, according to the disciplinary proceeding.
In February 2016, after factual allegations in the formal charges had been deemed admitted, Wilson sent a letter and filed a motion to recall the deemed admitted order, stating she had not received service of formal charges, had not practiced law in more than a year and was rarely in New Orleans, according to the decision.
The state bar hearing committee's chair granted Wilson's motion and she had 20 days to file an answer to the formal charges, according to the disciplinary proceeding. When she failed to file an answer, the office of disciplinary counsel again moved that all formal charges deemed admitted.
Wilson has been officially inactive since Sept. 17, 2016, according to the decision.