OLR eyes longer suspension for Milwaukee-area attorney

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A longtime Milwaukee-area attorney who tried to surrender his law license faces additional punishment for allegedly practicing law while he was suspended.

John Maynard, of Maynard, Schmitt & Associates LLP in Cedarburg, has had his license suspended since February 2010, save for a four-month period in 2011 when it was reinstated.

In in a complaint filed Oct. 25, the Office of Lawyer Regulation alleged that Maynard continued to represent several clients while he was suspended as a result of a previous OLR case. His misdeeds allegedly included handling matters for several companies and using the name of his law firm in letters to the court, even though he was forbidden from doing so.

The complaint noted that Maynard tried to voluntarily surrender his license, but the request was denied because of the pending disciplinary case.

Nevertheless, the OLR is asking the state Supreme Court to suspend Maynard’s license for one year.

Maynard could not be immediately reached for comment. His attorney, Nathaniel Cade, did not immediately return a message.

Maynard also was licensed in California, according to the complaint, but he was disbarred there in 2012 for not complying with a suspension and not taking a required exam.

His previous Wisconsin OLR case stemmed from allegations that he did not notify his former law firm of payments he received for legal services that he put into his personal bank account. It also included allegations of failing to identify his “of counsel” status when using law firm stationery and representing himself as a principal of the firm when filling out a postal application, according to a state Supreme Court decision.

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