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Chicago lawyer faces license suspension in Wisconsin

By: Erika Strebel, [email protected]//May 30, 2019//

Chicago lawyer faces license suspension in Wisconsin

By: Erika Strebel, [email protected]//May 30, 2019//

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A Chicago lawyer is faced with a six-month license suspension in Wisconsin over misconduct he committed in his home state.

In March, the Illinois Supreme Court suspended Nicholas Kefalos’ license for six months and “until further order of the court,” meaning that, in order to practice in Illinois again, he must show that he has been rehabilitated, has good character and has knowledge of the law.

Kefalos was suspended for neglecting three clients, failing to refund unearned fees that he charged to those clients and failing to cooperate with Illinois lawyer-regulators as they investigated the clients’ complaint.

According to court documents, each client paid Kefalos flat fees to do legal work, but he took no action on in response. He also neither communicated with clients nor responded to their emails or phone calls about the work they had hired him to do.

The Office of Lawyer Regulation charged Kefalos on May 14 with two counts of misconduct, alleging that he should be subject to reciprocal disciplinary measures as a result of the Illinois suspension and that he failed to report the suspension to the OLR within 20 days, as required by Wisconsin Supreme Court rules.

The OLR is asking the high court to suspend Kefalos’ license for six months, a disciplinary measure it believes to be commensurate with the Illinois suspension.

The OLR’s complaint also includes a motion to show cause, asking the high court to order Kefalos to inform the court in writing about any claim that reciprocal disciplinary measures would be inappropriate and about any factual grounding for such a claim.

Once Kefalos is served the complaint, he will have 20 days to respond.

Kefalos, a litigator at Vernor Morgan, has been licensed in Wisconsin since 2000. His Wisconsin license is active and in good standing, according to the Wisconsin State Bar and OLR websites.

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