Shreveport attorney Andres Humberto Aguilar's suspension following a Louisiana Supreme Court order in August over allegations that included hiring a chiropractic office employee to refer a client to him was one of two interim suspensions announced by the high court that month.
Aguilar's suspension was handed down in an Aug. 2 order while Baton Rouge attorney Michael Langdon Cave's punishment was handed down July 27 and announced by the state high court Aug. 8. Both suspensions were effective immediately, resulted from joint petitions for interim suspensions filed by the attorneys with the office of disciplinary counsel and are "pending further orders of this court," the separate orders said.
Aguilar was admitted to the bar Oct. 20, 2011, while Cave was admitted to the bar April 23, 1999, according to their profiles at the Louisiana State Bar's website.
The allegation that Aguilar paid $500 for a client referral stemmed for the client's April 2014 complaint after Aguilar represented her in a personal injury matter following an automobile accident, according to a 12-page Louisiana attorney discipline board hearing committee No. 60 report. A police officer referred the woman to a "runner" employed by a local chiropractic office, according to the report.
The runner hired Aguilar to handle the personal injury case on the injured woman's behalf and also directed the woman to seek treatment at the chiropractic office the following day and to not go to a hospital emergency room, according to the report.
After completing treatment, Aguilar failed to communicate with the client about her case, stopped answering her telephone calls and did not place any calls to the client, according to the report. The chiropractic office also advised they too were unable to contact Aguilar, according to the report.
Aguilar also was alleged to have failed to file pleadings in a Pro Bono Project divorce case in a separate client matter, according to the report. Aguilar also allegedly failed to respond to the client in that client matter, according to the report.
In November the hearing committee recommended suspension for a year and a day with all but nine months deferred on condition that Aguilar make restitution, continue with counseling, attend continuing legal education classes and pay costs associated with this matter.