North Carolina State Bar v. Randolph

Plaintiff is an agency of the State of North Carolina with statutory power over the discipline of attorneys. N.C.G.S. §§ 84-15, -23 (1985). Defendant is a duly licensed attorney who practices in Forsyth County, North Carolina. While serving as attorney for an estate, defendant paid himself, from the estate, an attorney’s fee of $98,000 for his services in settling an insurance claim on behalf of the estate. The administratrix filed a civil action against defendant, alleging that the fee was unauthorized and excessive. She also filed a grievance with plaintiff, alleging that defendant had…