Boyle denies OLR’s misconduct allegations

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Gerald P. Boyle is denying six charges of alleged professional misconduct levied by the Office of Lawyer Regulation.

Five of the six charges, which were filed last month, stemmed from the Boyle, Boyle & Boyle SC attorney’s representation of Waukesha Beatles collector David Petersen.

The OLR stated Boyle did not prepare written fee agreements and explain the scope of his representation. It is asking the state Supreme Court to suspend Boyle for 60 days.

But Boyle, in an April 2 response to the OLR’s filing, denied all the allegations, stating he explained everything to Petersen while he worked on his case. He also denied an OLR charge that he didn’t put Petersen’s money – as well as money paid to him by a separate client – into a trust account.

Boyle did not immediately return a phone call Tuesday afternoon.

On April 8, the case was sent to referee Hannah Dugan, who will oversee the OLR’s case and the challenge.

According to the OLR’s complaint, Boyle told Petersen he would handle his case, which involved the sale of fake memorabilia, for a flat fee of $25,000. He later went on to request additional money, according to the complaint, and Petersen paid him three sums: $10,000, $35,000 and $20,000. All three payments allegedly were deposited into the firm’s operating account instead of a client trust account, according to the OLR.

Boyle further failed his client, according to the OLR, through his lack of momentum on the case. Early in the representation, Boyle wrote letters to some of the galleries involved, but did not file a lawsuit as the client wished.

By June 2010, the statute of limitations expired on 10 of the 30 counterfeit Beatles items in question.

The case against Gerald P. Boyle is just the latest in a series of troubles his family has endured.

His daughter, Bridget Boyle, has been the subject of several OLR investigations. She asked the state Supreme Court in February to allow her to surrender her law license.

The court has yet to act on her request. Follow @eheisigWLJ