NEW ORLEANS – Disbarred Lafayette attorney Harold D. Register Jr. faces possible permanent disbarment following a recent recommendation by a Louisiana Attorney Disciplinary Board (LADB) hearing committee over allegations he converted more than $85,000.
The office of disciplinary counsel alleged that Register kept fees but never rendered services and did not disburse settlement proceeds in five of six counts against him, according to the 26-page recommendation issued Nov. 19 by LADB Hearing Committee No. 19.
"There are multiple offenses, reflecting a pattern of neglect and conversion, which (Register) attempted to hide through avoidance, lack of communication, misrepresentation and forgery," the recommendation said. "(Register) has expressed no remorse for the harm done to his clients and has made no efforts at restitution. (Register)] benefited from his misconduct, establishing a selfish motive. (Register) has not participated in any of the investigations or with these disciplinary proceedings."
The committee also recommended Register be ordered to pay all costs in the matter.
The recommendation was signed Nov. 16 by Committee Chair Brandon O. Wallace; attorney member Christopher B. Bailey and public member Margaret B. Hebert concurred in the recommendation.
Register was admitted to the bar in Louisiana on Sept. 18, 1985, according to his profile at the state bar's website.
Register was disbarred following a Louisiana Supreme Court order in February over allegations in two matters that included failing to disburse money to a client and to third parties that Register had received as part of a settlement. Register was disbarred over the dissent of two Supreme Court justices and an LADB hearing committee recommendation the previous March, all of whom said Register should be suspended.
The LADB recommended in September 2017 that Register be disbarred.
The office of disciplinary counsel filed formal charges against Register in March.
In a previous discipline described in the recommendation, Register was publicly reprimanded in 2003 and placed on 18 months of supervised conditional probation for alleged failure to promptly disburse settlement funds, mishandling a client trust account and neglecting legal matters.