OLR seeks suspension for Mequon attorney

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The Office of Lawyer regulation seeks a 60-day suspension for a Mequon attorney accused of misleading a loan company in the wake of a settlement.

According to the OLR’s complaint, Howard Mitz, a general solo practitioner who has never been disciplined, in 2007 obtained a $100,000 settlement while representing his cousin in a suit regarding a car crash. His cousin, who claimed he could not work as a result of his injuries, took out a pre-settlement loan while the lawsuit was pending.

But Mitz didn’t pay the loan company until more than six years after the settlement was reached, according to the complaint. The OLR also alleges he falsely told the company that he hadn’t dispersed any money from the loan, and did not notify them about another defendant declaring bankruptcy and the inability to pay another settlement.

The complaint states Mitz also made false statements to OLR investigators. He claimed that he did not know his client had any outstanding debts to the loan company, according to court documents, even though he co-signed the documents with his client.

Mitz, who was admitted to the bar in 1973, has not yet filed a response to the OLR’s complaint. He refused to talk about the matter when contacted Tuesday.

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