NEW ORLEANS (Louisiana Record) — Suspended and often-disciplined Sunset attorney Roy Joseph Richard Jr. faces possible disbarment following an Oct. 29 Louisiana Attorney Disciplinary Board (LADB) recommendation to the Louisiana Supreme Court.
In its 26-page recommendation, the LADB recommended Richard be permanently disbarred.
"The board further recommends that [Richard] make restitution of all unearned fees to complainants and be assessed with the costs and expenses of these consolidated proceedings," the recommendation said.
The LADB adopted all but one of the factual findings of two hearing committees, including LADB hearing committee No. 5's recommendation in October 2018 that Richard be disbarred. The LADB did not agree with a hearing committee finding that Richard had charged an unearned fee.
Richard is alleged to have abandoned his practice and his client but continued to practice law while ineligible. The lengthy list of allegations against Richard includes conversion of unearned fees and failures to safe keep property of clients or third persons and to act with diligence and promptness.
Richard was admitted to the bar in Louisiana on April 16, 2004, according to his profile at the Louisiana State Bar Association's website.
Richard has been suspended since April 2016 over alleged misconduct between 2013 and 2015. The office of disciplinary counsel has investigated eight disciplinary matters against him between 2012 and 2018, according to the LADB's recommendation. The Supreme Court also handed down a suspension order against Richard in May 2018.
He did not respond to formal charges in the four now consolidated proceedings against him and those charges has since been deemed admitted, according to the recommendation.
"The sole remaining issue presented is whether [Richard]'s conduct, taken as a whole, is so egregious that he should be permanently disbarred, which the office of disciplinary counsel argues is the appropriate sanction considering all the circumstances presented," the board's recommendation said. "The board agrees that permanent disbarment is supportable and appropriate."