Matthews attorney reprimanded

Attorney: Harry C. Marsh

Location: Matthews

Bar membership: Member since 2010

Disciplinary action: Reprimanded on Nov. 12, 2021

Background: While representing a tenant in a dispute with a landlord, Marsh exchanged emails with the landlord in which he made a series of problematic comments that did not serve any purpose in resolving the legal dispute. In the emails, Marsh said that he would make the matter personal, threatened to act unreasonably, made a statement that could not be substantiated about his law practice, and threatened to engage in “unpleasant things” that would cost the landlord a lot of money. Marsh also failed to timely respond to a notice of grievance.

Previous discipline: Marsh was censured in February 2018 after he represented clients in a foreclosure proceeding on their home. The clients chose to pursue a short sale, and Marsh used his own company to submit an initial offer on the home for the sole purpose of staving off the bank from initiating a sale. Although Marsh claimed he never intended to follow through, he placed himself in a position to purchase the property, putting his interests in clear conflict with his clients’. The Grievance Committee found that Marsh had a conflict of interest when he steered business to his wife in the possible short sale and made two misleading statements to a State Bar deputy counsel about what he’d told the lender and its local counsel regarding the sham offer.

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].