Baton Rouge attorney Darryl L. Robertson has been suspended for one year and a day following a Nov. 28 Louisiana Supreme Court disciplinary proceeding over allegations that included failing to provide competent representation to a client.
Robertson also was ordered to pay costs and expenses, according to the high court's eight-page disciplinary proceeding. Other allegations against Robertson, filed by the office of disciplinary counsel in July 2016, included failing to act with reasonable diligence and promptness in representing his client and failing to communicate with his client.
Robertson did not file an answer and there was no formal hearing, according to the state court's disciplinary proceeding. Robertson was admitted to the bar in Louisiana on Oct. 18, 2002, according to his profile at the Louisiana State Bar's website.
Allegations against Robertson stemmed from an incident in January 2014 in which an East Baton Rouge Parish middle school student was attacked at a school bus transfer hub, according to the disciplinary proceeding. The student's mother retained Robertson the following month but purportedly encountered difficulty reaching the attorney by telephone. Later, during a visit to the clerk of court, she found the case had not been filed on her son's behalf, according to the disciplinary proceeding. In June 2015, the mother filed a complaint with the office of disciplinary counsel ODC.
This past June, Louisiana's attorney discipline board recommended the state supreme court suspend Robertson. "Review of the documents and evidence shows that [Robertson] accepted representation of a civil law matter and, due to lack of experience with Louisiana civil procedure, appears to have been unable to offer competent representation," the board's recommendation said.
"[Robertson] acknowledged having failed to properly research the case law for this type of claim and filed suit against the wrong parties."
In 2009 the state supreme court handed down a fully deferred one-year suspension and a year of probation with conditions against Robertson for neglecting a client's legal matter, causing that case to be dismissed, failing to communicate with the client, failing to return the client's file, failing to respond to opposing counsel's requests, and failing to comply with federal court orders.