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Hearing set for Madison lawyer charged with taking $1M from companies

By: Erika Strebel, [email protected]//March 28, 2016//

Hearing set for Madison lawyer charged with taking $1M from companies

By: Erika Strebel, [email protected]//March 28, 2016//

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A disciplinary hearing is set in the case of a Madison lawyer who faces revocation of his license for, among other things, taking $1 million from companies that he had an ownership interest in.

The case stems from an Office of Lawyer Regulation complaint filed in July 2015 alleging Patrick Sweeney committed five counts of misconduct involving two clients.

The OLR alleges Sweeney appeared in court and filed motions in a case throughout December 2013, even though his license had been suspended since November 2013. Also, Sweeney, through three corporations in which he had part ownership, drafted, signed and guaranteed loans to a friend and client despite the conflict of interest, according to the complaint.

The OLR also alleges that Sweeney later took more than $1 million from the corporations for his personal use but told partners he was loaning money to a client.

The OLR is asking the Wisconsin Supreme Court to revoke his license.

Sweeney replied to the complaint in November 2015, denying the allegations and contending that he had a number of affirmative defenses, including that he was suffering from “multiple medical disabilities” that affected his memory, decision-making and judgment.

He also contended that it took too long – seven years – for the OLR to file a complaint and that the complaint was tainted by the fact that person that had filed a grievance against him had previously been retained by the OLR.

Sweeney, who was admitted to practice in 1992, is representing himself in the case.

According to court documents, a disciplinary hearing will be held from Aug. 24-26 starting at 9 a.m. at the State Bar of Wisconsin, 5302 Eastpark Blvd., Madison.

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