Lorain County Bar Association v. Smith

{¶ 1} Respondent, Gerald Morton Smith of Avon Lake, Ohio, Attorney Registration No. 0008781, was admitted to the practice of law in Ohio in 1961.

{¶ 2} On May 4, 2015, relator, Lorain County Bar Association, filed an eight-count complaint against Smith with the Board of Professional Conduct. In the complaint, relator alleged that Smith violated the Rules of Professional Conduct in his representation of a single client by charging a clearly excessive fee, failing to deposit the fee into his client trust account, failing to advise the client that he might be entitled to a refund of all or part…