Phoenix attorney Kathy McCoy O'Quinn has been disbarred on a reciprocal basis following a June 16 Louisiana Supreme Court disciplinary proceeding after she was disbarred in Arizona over alleged ethical rules violations in three client matters.
O'Quinn was disciplined in February when the Arizona Supreme Court handed down its final judgment and order of disbarment against her. Shortly afterward, the office of disciplinary counsel filed a petition reciprocal discipline against O'Quinn, to which the high court in Louisiana agreed in its four-page disciplinary proceeding.
O'Quinn was admitted to the bar in Arizona on Dec. 18, 2001, according to the Arizona high court's order.
O'Quinn was admitted to the bar in Louisiana on Oct. 5, 1984, according to her profile at the Louisiana State Bar's website. Her state profile also indicates she was ineligible in September 2016 for noncompliance in trust account registration requirements and for unpaid bar and disciplinary dues, in addition to being ineligible in June 2016 for noncompliance with continuing legal education requirements.
The Arizona high court also ordered her to pay restitution of $8,500, plus interest, to two of her former clients, in addition to costs and expenses of about $2,017 to the State Bar of Arizona.
O'Quinn did not file an answer to the allegations against her and a default was entered effective Dec. 6, 2016, according to the Arizona order.
"O'Quinn's prior disciplinary history is long," the Arizona order said and referred to multiple exhibits included with the order that "sets forth her history. She was a conditional admittee with alcohol issues."
Arizona state bar's counsel made multiple efforts to contact O'Quinn, including a in-person visit to her apartment. "It had been abandoned and 111 client files were found at her apartment and in a dumpster," the Arizona order said.
"The bank was contacted where her trust account was held, but there was no forwarding address left by O'Quinn. There was $29 in trust in her IOLTA account. Her law office had been rented space but was long abandoned. There was no forwarding address or other information as she was evicted from her office."