Mass. attorney reprimanded by Wis. Supreme Court

Listen to this article

The Wisconsin Supreme Court has publicly reprimanded Massachusetts attorney Ronald Brandt for professional misconduct.

The court issued its order Tuesday for reciprocal discipline for Brandt, who received a public reprimand from the Board of Bar Overseers of the Supreme Judicial Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in April 2010.

Brandt, a personal injury lawyer in Quincy, Mass., graduated from the University of Wisconsin Law School in 1972 and was admitted to practice in Massachusetts in January 1982.

According to the order, a client retained Brandt in October 2005 to represent him in a medical malpractice case regarding surgery and post-operative care that occurred in October 2004.

But, according to the disciplinary order, Brandt failed to notify a client of his intent not to pursue the claim. Brandt also did not return the client’s medical records and failed to advise the individual of their right to consult other attorneys.

It wasn’t until June 2008 that the client learned no lawsuit had been filed on his behalf.

The Massachusetts disciplinary board ruled that Brandt’s decision to terminate the representation of the client without taking reasonably practical steps to protect the client’s interests and his failure to return all of the client’s files in a reasonable manner of time, warranted the reprimand.

On July 27, Brandt and the Wisconsin Office of Lawyer Regulation stipulated to the allegations in the Massachusetts complaint.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court did not impose costs of the proceeding on Brandt.