Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

Bar Disciplinary Actions

Dec 1, 2022

Wake County attorney suspended

Attorney: Lloyd Kelso   Location: Wake County  Bar membership: Since 1977  Disciplinary action: 1 year suspension   Background:   Defendant was found guilty of multiple offenses and engaged in a pattern of misconduct. At the time of this conduct, the defendant knew or should have known that his actions could harm his clients.  In Nov. 2019, the defendant […]

Nov 29, 2022

Wake County attorney suspended for 4 years

Attorney: Willie Brooks  Location: Wake County   Bar membership: Since 1982  Disciplinary action: 4-year suspension   Background:   The defendant has been found guilty of failing to conduct monthly reconciliations of his trust account following a random audit to Brooks’ trust account by the North Carolina State Bar on March 6, 2019.  In addition to finding Brooks had […]

Nov 29, 2022

Wake County attorney reprimanded

Attorney: Deborrah L. Newton  Location: Wake County  Disciplinary action: Reprimand   Background:   Defendant was found guilty of submitting fee applications that contained inaccurate and excessive billing entries. Defendant engaged in conduct that is prejudicial to the administration of justice in violation of Rule 8.4(d). In 2021 the defendant was appointed by The Office of the Capital [&h[...]

Aug 29, 2022

Wake County attorney reprimanded

Attorney: Steven L. Gourley   Location: Wake County   Bar Membership:   Disciplinary action: Reprimand  Background:   The defendant was found guilty of professional misconduct due to the development of a personal relationship with a past client. After the defendant prosecuted several domestic violence charges in which his client was a complaining witness/victim, they got involved in a rom[...]

May 19, 2022

Matthews attorney censured (May 2022) 

Attorney: John C. Snyder III  Location: Matthews  Bar membership: Member since 2001  Disciplinary action: Censured on February 16  Background: Snyder represented V.K. in a lawsuit brought by his former employer for allegedly violating a noncompete agreement. One week after the plaintiff took a voluntary dismissal with prejudice of the case against V.K., Snyder filed an […]

Apr 15, 2019

Asheville attorney censured

Attorney: Jennifer Nicole Foster Location: Asheville Bar membership: Member since 1995 Disciplinary action: Censured on March 25 Background: Foster posted on social media that she had “basically” been put out of business by another attorney and was unable to take new cases or resolve the ones she then had due to retaliation by Buncombe County’s […]

Apr 15, 2019

Wilmington attorney censured and reprimanded

Attorney: Steven B. Wright Location: Wilmington Bar membership: Member since 2013 Disciplinary action: Censured in one matter and reprimanded in another on Feb. 8 Background: Wright was administratively suspended from November 2015 to February 2016.  While representing a client in a criminal matter, Wright failed to comply with the client notification provisions of the wind-down […]

Feb 18, 2019

Hendersonville attorney suspended indefinitely

H. Trade Elkins was suspended from the practice of law until the conclusion of all disciplinary proceedings on Feb. 7. On June 14, 2018 Elkins pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina to one count of wire fraud, a class C felony.

Aug 10, 2018

Greenville attorney censured

Attorney: Richard L. Cannon III Location: Greenville Bar membership: Member since 1983 Disciplinary action: Censured on May 14 Background: Cannon is associated with “Upright Law” in Illinois. Upright maintains a website advertising that it can provide legal representation for consumers filing for bankruptcy nationwide, and that it has multiple lawyers in North Carolina who are […]

Apr 5, 2018

Mooresville attorney reprimanded

Attorney: Todd J. Farlow Location: Mooresville Bar membership: Member since 2000 Disciplinary action: Reprimanded on Feb. 22 Background: In June 2016 Farlow notarized a signature on a deed of trust certifying that the purported signee had personally appeared before Farlow and signed the deed in Farlow’s presence, when in fact neither of those things were […]

Feb 14, 2018

Lincolnton attorney suspended

Attorney: Blair McFarland Pettis Location: Lincolnton Bar membership: Member since 2007 Disciplinary action: Suspended from the practice of law until further notice on Jan. 3 Background: An order of suspension issued by a Lincoln County Superior Court judge noted that “an unfortunate incident” occurred in open court in that county in January 2017. As a […]

Jan 2, 2018

Goldsboro attorney enjoined

Attorney: Charles R. Gurley Location: Goldsboro Bar membership: Member since 1991 Disciplinary action: Enjoined from engaging in the practice of law by the Wake County Superior Court on Nov. 22. The court appointed trustees to protect the interests of Gurley’s clients. Background: The state bar received notice in November 2016 that a check was presented […]

Top Legal News

See All Top Legal News

Commentary

See All Commentary