Charlotte attorney suspended for five years

Attorney: Daniel S. Rufty

Location: Charlotte

Bar membership: Member since 2017

Disciplinary action: Suspended from the practice of law for five years on April 8. After six months Rufty may apply for a stay of the remaining portion of the suspension.

Background: Shorty after graduating from Charlotte School of Law, Rufty agreed to become the in-name-only owner of a law firm, 97 percent of whose profits would be distributed to out-of-state attorneys. During his time with the firm, Rufty was engaged in the practice of debt adjusting while employed by a debt adjuster, which is a misdemeanor in North Carolina; permitted non-lawyers to provide legal services to North Carolina residents, thereby aiding others in the unauthorized practice of law; and allowed a portion of his fees to be paid to those non-lawyers. Rufty also falsely told clients that their legal services would be provided by North Carolina attorneys, failed to supervise non-lawyer employees of the firm, failed to reasonably consult with clients, made numerous false representations to the Grievance Committee in response to a letter of notice, failed to appear at his clients’ hearings and arbitrations and failed to file responsive pleadings on their behalf, and failed to supervise the handling of entrusted funds or deposit those entrusted funds in a trust account.

Previous discipline: None

All information contained in the Bar Discipline Roundup is compiled and edited by Lawyers Weekly editor-in-chief David Donovan. He can be reached at [email protected].