State Supreme Court disciplines two attorneys

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The Wisconsin Supreme Court revoked one lawyer’s license this month and publicly reprimanded another following discipline for both in other states.

The court revoked attorney Craig Hunt’s law license following the California Supreme Court’s disbarment of Hunt in 2007.

Hunt graduated from the University of Wisconsin Law School in 1964, passed the California Bar in 1971 and practiced in that state. He let his Wisconsin bar dues lapse and in 1974 was suspended by the Wisconsin Supreme Court, according to the order.

According to the Wisconsin court’s revocation order, Hunt’s California revocation stemmed from engaging in the unauthorized practice of law, moral turpitude and violations of the conditions of his probation related to prior discipline imposed by the Supreme Court of California.

Both Hunt and the Wisconsin Office of Lawyer Regulation stipulated to the revocation and no costs were assessed.

Also this month, the court publicly reprimanded Massachusetts attorney Ronald Brandt for professional misconduct.

Brandt received a public reprimand from the Board of Bar Overseers of the Supreme Judicial Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in April 2010. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin Law School in 1972 and was admitted to practice in Massachusetts in January 1982.

According to the court’s 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.