Professional Responsibility — suspension

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Wisconsin Supreme Court

Civil

Professional Responsibility — suspension

Where attorney Mary K. Biester committed 30 acts of misconduct including conversion of client funds, a one-year suspension is appropriate.

“Since no two cases are precisely analogous, there is no ‘standard’ sanction for particular misconduct.  Nevertheless, the sanctions imposed in prior cases are instructive in fashioning an appropriate remedy for the case at hand.  Attorney Biester has admitted to more counts of misconduct than were at issue in Raneda or the 2009 Mandelman matter.  (Attorney Mandelman’s 1990 case, which also resulted in a one-year suspension, involved roughly the same number of counts as does the instant case.)  As the referee noted, Attorney Biester practiced law uneventfully for nearly 34 years.  Her professional misconduct occurred during a period where she was experiencing serious personal hardships.  She has accepted responsibility for her actions and has expressed concern for the victims of her misconduct.  Upon consideration of all of the facts of this case, we agree with the referee that a one-year suspension of Attorney Biester’s license to practice law in Wisconsin is an appropriate sanction.”

2012AP385-D OLR v. Biester

Per Curiam.

Attorneys: For Complainant: Krohn, Robert G., Edgerton; Weigel, William J., Madison; For Respondent: Biester, Mary K., Beloit; Kravit, Stephen E., Milwaukee