Iowa Supreme Court Board of Professional Ethics & Conduct v. Wagner

LAVORATO, Justice.

This disciplinary proceeding is a textbook example of the pitfalls that await an attorney who decides to represent both the buyer and the seller in a large commercial transaction. The Iowa Supreme Court Board of Professional Ethics and Conduct alleged that, in representing both the buyer and the seller, attorney John C. Wagner failed to make full disclosures to the buyer as required by our disciplinary rules. The Grievance Commission found that the board had established the violations alleged, and it recommended a three-month suspension. After carefully reviewing the record,…