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LOUISIANA RECORD

Friday, March 29, 2024

North Carolina attorney reciprocally disciplined by Louisiana high court following D.C. suspension

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NEW ORLEANS (Louisiana Record) — North Carolina attorney Warner H. Anthony Jr. has been reciprocally suspended following an April 29 Louisiana Supreme Court attorney disciplinary proceeding regarding his alleged mishandling of a married couples U.S. Tax Court case.

In its three-page attorney disciplinary proceeding, the Louisiana high court suspended Anthony, of Greensboro, North Carolina, for one year, the same disciplined handed down in December by the District of Columbia Court of Appeals.

"The misconduct at issue encompasses [Anthony]'s failure to competently and diligently represent his clients in a federal tax matter, which occurred when he failed to provide them with a written retainer agreement and then, after filing three petitions in the U.S. Tax Court on their behalf, failed to comply with court rules or respond to court orders, resulting in dismissal of the petitions," the disciplinary proceeding said. "The dismissal of these petitions foreclosed any further challenge to the contested tax assessments."

Anthony also failed to respond to his clients' requests for information and misrepresented the status of the dismissed petitions, according to the disciplinary proceeding.

"Thereafter, when his clients obtained new counsel, [Anthony] failed to respond to counsel's request for their files."

Warner also failed to cooperate during a Washington-based investigation into allegations against him.

Anthony was admitted to the bar in Louisiana on Oct. 5, 1973, according to his profile at the Louisiana State Bar Association's website. He was admitted to The District of Columbia Bar Feb. 8, 1988, according to his profile on the D.C. bar's website.

In its own four-page decision issued Dec. 13 to suspend Anthony, the D.C. Court of Appeals accepted the findings of the ad hoc hearing committee assigned to the case, which found Anthony failed to competently and diligently represent his clients in a federal tax matter. Anthony allegedly failed to provide his clients with a written retainer agreement and later failed to comply with court rules or respond to court orders, which resulted in the case's dismissal.

The D.C. Court of Appeals also accepted a committee recommendation that Anthony "be required to demonstrate his fitness to practice" as a condition to future reinstatement.

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