In Re Complaint as to the Conduct of Castanza

In this lawyer disciplinary proceeding, the Oregon State Bar charged the accused with violating Oregon Rule of Professional Conduct (RPC) 1.16(d) for failing to take reasonable steps to protect his clients’ interests when he terminated his representation of them. After an evidentiary hearing, a trial panel of the Disciplinary Board found that, when the accused withdrew from representing his two clients in a civil action that he had filed on their behalf, he violated RPC 1.16(d) by failing to: (1) allow his clients sufficient time to employ another counsel; (2) make any attempts to postpone…