North Carolina Lawyers Weekly
Attorney: Jeffrey D. Smith
Location: Charlotte
Bar membership: Member since 1982
Disciplinary action: Suspended from the practice of law for an additional two years on June 5.
Background: Smith held some entrusted funds in his trust account for which he was unable to identify the clients to whom those funds belonged to a degree sufficient enough to allow those funds to be disbursed, and also failed to timely disburse funds for five identified clients. On three occasions, Smith failed to promptly deposit entrusted funds belonging to a particular client, and disbursed funds from the trust account for the benefit of that client prior to depositing any of those funds, thereby misusing other entrusted funds. He also mistakenly disbursed to himself trust account funds to which he was not entitled and failed to promptly reimburse his trust account for a negative balance.
Previous discipline: Smith was suspended from the practice of law for two years in September 2015, also for misconduct related to improper maintenance of his trust accounts. That suspension was initially stayed before being activated in March of this year. One year from the effective date of that first suspension, Smith may apply for a stay of the remaining period of the second suspension.
