Cleveland, Warren Attorneys Suspended
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In separate disciplinary actions announced today, the Supreme Court of Ohio suspended the licenses of attorneys Jeffrey F. Slavin of Cleveland and John H. Large of Warren.
2008-2407. Cleveland Bar Assn. v. Slavin, Slip Opinion No. 2009-Ohio-2015.
On Certified Report by the Board of Commissioners on Grievances and Discipline, No. 07-099. Jeffrey F. Slavin, Attorney Registration No. 0002657, is suspended from the practice of law in Ohio for one year, with six months stayed on condition.
Moyer, C.J., and Lundberg Stratton, O'Connor, Lanzinger, and Cupp, JJ., concur.
Pfeifer and O'Donnell, JJ., dissent and would suspend respondent from the practice of law in Ohio for one year but would stay the entire suspension on condition.
Opinion: http://www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/rod/docs/pdf/0/2009/2009-Ohio-2015.pdf 
(May 6, 2009) The Supreme Court of Ohio has imposed a one-year license suspension, with the final six months of that term stayed on conditions, against the license of Cleveland attorney Jeffrey F. Slavin for professional misconduct in his handling of a personal injury action he agreed to file on behalf of a client.
The Court adopted findings by the Board of Commissioners on Grievances & Discipline that Slavin missed the statute of limitations (time limit) for filing suit on behalf of his client, and then tried to conceal his neglect by falsely telling the client the claim had been settled and paying the alleged “settlement” from his own funds. When the Cleveland Bar Association contacted Slavin in response to a grievance filed by the client, Slavin initially lied to the investigator about the alleged settlement of his client’s case. Slavin also later admitted that he had improperly commingled his own funds with moneys held for clients in his law office trust account.
The Court agreed with the board’s conclusions that Slavin had violated the state attorney discipline rules that prohibit neglect of an entrusted client legal matter; failure to maintain client funds in a separate, identifiable trust account; engaging in conduct involving fraud, deceit, dishonesty or misrepresentation; and engaging in conduct that reflects adversely on an attorney’s fitness to practice.
Chief Justice Thomas J. Moyer and Justices Evelyn Lundberg Stratton, Maureen O’Connor, Judith Ann Lanzinger and Robert R. Cupp voted to impose a one-year license suspension with the final six months stayed on condition that Slavin commit no further misconduct. Justices Paul E. Pfeifer and Terrence O’Donnell dissented, indicating that they would impose a one-year suspension but would conditionally stay the entire 12 months.
Contacts
Monica A. Sansalone, 216.241.5310, for the Cleveland Bar Association.
Richard C. Alkire, 216.674.0550, for Jeffrey Slavin.
2009-0041. Disciplinary Counsel v. Large, Slip Opinion No. 2009-Ohio-2022.
On Certified Report by the Board of Commissioners on Grievances and Discipline, No. 08-038. John Harold Large, Attorney Registration No. 0068732, is suspended from the practice of law in Ohio for one year.
Moyer, C.J., and Pfeifer, Lundberg Stratton, O'Connor, O'Donnell, Lanzinger, and Cupp, JJ., concur.
Opinion: http://www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/rod/docs/pdf/0/2009/2009-Ohio-2022.pdf
(May 6, 2009) The law license of Warren attorney John H. Large has been suspended by the Supreme Court of Ohio for one year for failing to file federal or state income tax returns for the 2000 through 2004 tax years, and failing to report employee wages he paid during the same period.
The Court found that Large’s actions violated the state attorney discipline rules that prohibit conduct involving fraud, deceit, dishonesty or misrepresentation and conduct that adversely reflects on an attorney’s fitness to practice law.
In imposing a one-year suspension as the appropriate sanction for his misconduct, the Court noted that Large subsequently filed tax returns for each of the years he had failed to do so, entered guilty pleas to misdemeanor counts of willfully failing to comply with tax laws and served a term of community control for those offenses, and had cooperated with the Internal Revenue Service and disciplinary authorities and expressed contrition for his actions. It also noted, however, that Large had engaged in a pattern of deliberate misconduct over a period of five years, had made very little progress toward paying on a tax delinquency of more than $88,000, and had damaged his employees by failing to report or withhold taxes from their wages.
Contacts
Jonathan Coughlan, 614.461.0256, for the Office of Disciplinary Counsel.
Charles L. Richards, 216.373.1000, for John Large.