Referee: Private reprimand for Milwaukee attorney

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A referee is recommending that a Milwaukee attorney be given a private reprimand.

The recommendation stems from a complaint filed last year by the Office of Lawyer Regulation alleging that Edward Purcell had practiced law while his license was suspended for failing to report that he had completed continuing-legal-education courses and lied on the paperwork he had filed in order to get reinstated.

The OLR, in its complaint, had asked that the Wisconsin Supreme Court privately reprimand Purcell, meaning he would not be banned from practicing but that the decision that the high court makes in his case will not be made public. The OLR, however, must publish a summary that does not identify Purcell.

Purcell neither responded to the complaint nor participated in telephone hearing on the OLR’s motion for default judgment.

The referee in the case, Rick Esenberg, granted the OLR’s motion and had the parties submit briefs on what the sanction ought to be. Again, Purcell did not participate.

In a report filed on Jan. 8, Esenberg found Purcell was in default. Esenberg found the allegations in the OLR’s complaint to be true and adopted the OLR’s recommendation that Purcell be privately reprimanded.

“While Attorney Purcell’s misrepresentation in his petition for reinstatement is problematic, a private reprimand seems suitable,” Esenberg wrote.

The Wisconsin Supreme court will next review Esenberg’s report and issue a final decision in the matter. Follow @erikastrebel