Milwaukee attorney convicted of embezzlement granted reinstatement

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A Milwaukee attorney convicted of embezzling thousands of dollars from an estate has been reinstated to practice law in Wisconsin.

Daniel W. Morse, a solo practitioner, pleaded guilty in 2018 to three criminal charges for embezzling more than $25,000 belonging to an estate. The Wisconsin Supreme Court suspended his law license for one year for the misconduct.

The high court granted his petition for reinstatement on March 2, following a hearing in October and a referee’s recommendation for reinstatement submitted in November.

According to the state Supreme Court’s opinion, the referee found that Morse fully complied with the terms of his suspension, understood the gravity of his misconduct and made restitution.

“The referee said Attorney Morse is very knowledgeable about his specific area of practice, and if, in the future, an issue at the periphery of his knowledge arises, he has vowed that he will consult with other experienced professionals,” the opinion said.

The referee recommended reinstatement, and the court agreed. It also ordered Morse to pay $5,448.81 in costs of the reinstatement proceeding.

Morse was admitted to practice law in Wisconsin in 1979, and he was also licensed to practice in Florida and Pennsylvania. He was disbarred in Florida in 2019, and his Pennsylvania law license is administratively suspended. Follow @WLJReporter