Attorney Grievance Commission v. Hess

RODOWSKY, Judge.

Between 1985 and 1987 the respondent, Stanford Donald Hess (Hess), while a partner in a major Baltimore law firm, consistently and falsely inflated the hours worked by attorneys at the firm on the matters of a dominant, but difficult, client. At least one purpose of the artificial increase was to offset a fifteen percent discount which the firm had agreed to give to the client for prompt payment which, as Hess anticipated, never materialized. The basic facts are not in dispute. Although each party has filed exceptions, our rulings thereon do not bear materially on the ultimate…