NEW ORLEANS — Disbarred former New Orleans Attorney Edward Bissau Mendy is now permanently disbarment following a May 25 Louisiana Supreme Court disciplinary proceeding.
In its disciplinary proceeding, the high court said it based its decision on a Louisiana Attorney Disciplinary Board hearing committee's finding earlier this spring in the latest charges against Mendy.
"In aggravation, the committee found a prior disciplinary record, a dishonest or selfish motive, a pattern of misconduct 'based on prior disciplines', bad faith obstruction of the disciplinary proceeding by intentionally failing to comply with the rules or orders of the disciplinary agency, refusal to acknowledge the wrongful nature of the conduct, and substantial experience in the practice of law (admitted 1993)," the disciplinary proceeding said.
"The committee found no mitigating factors present."
The Supreme Court's decision means Mendy is permanently prohibited from being readmitted to membership in the Louisiana State Bar Association. The court also ordered Mendy to pay $7,000 in restitution to the client in the most recent complaint against the attorney, as well as all costs and expenses in the matter.
Mendy was admitted to the Louisiana Bar on April 23, 1993, according to his profile at the Louisiana State Bar Association's website. Complaints from clients from whom be collected fees but took no actions began to arrive at the state bar soon after.
"He immediately upon his admission and, since that time, has engaged in collecting fees from clients, and thereafter, taking no action in their cases," said the hearing committee's recommendation issued in March.
The complaint before the Supreme Court in its disciplinary proceeding involved a client who retained Mendy in August 2009 to prepare a patent application, counsel to perfect the patent "and to explore various beneficial strategies related to the patent," for which he paid thousands of dollars as part of a flat fee. "However, there is no evidence that [Mendy] took any action in the matter," the disciplinary proceeding said.
The client filed a complaint with the office of disciplinary counsel in February 2015, but Mendy never filed a response. With no response from the attorney, the allegations against him "were deemed admitted and proven by clear and convincing evidence," the disciplinary proceeding said.