OLR: Attorney must wait until June to get reinstated

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A lawyer with admission to practice in Minnesota and Wisconsin must wait until June to seek the reinstatement of his law license.

B.C. Fischer saw his Wisconsin law license suspended for 120 days in late February. Fischer’s Minnesota license was suspended in October 2020, with the ability to apply for reinstatement after 120 days. Wisconsin Office of Lawyer Regulation filed its complaint last July 27 when Fischer failed to report his Minnesota license suspension within 20 days of its imposition.

Since his admission to practice in 2002, Fischer has faced several misconduct complaints. His administrative license was suspended in October 2016 for failure to pay bar dues and to provide a required trust account certification. It was suspended again in May 2017 for failing to comply with continuing legal education reporting requirements.

Fischer also received a public reprimand as discipline reciprocal to that imposed by Minnesota for professional misconduct in that state. That 2014 complaint included Fischer’s failure to provide the Minnesota OLR with timely notice of employment of a suspended attorney, using misleading advertising and law firm signage and letterhead, neglecting and failing to communicate with two clients, failing to expedite litigation, and noncooperation in disciplinary investigation.

The Wisconsin court imposed a 90-day suspension in 2019 in conjunction with Minnesota’s disciplinary matters for neglecting six client matters, failing to communicate with clients, making false statements, failing to return client files and failing to cooperate with disciplinary investigations.

Given his history with professional misconduct, the Wisconsin Supreme Court imposed another reciprocal discipline. Fischer’s current disciplinary suspension will be lifted after 120 days upon proof that Fischer complies with his Minnesota suspension conditions by completing the professional responsibility portion of the written exam required for law admission in Minnesota.

Because the Wisconsin OLR, Supreme Court and Fischer resolved the matter by stipulation, Fischer is not required to pay for the misconduct proceedings.

Fischer’s administrative licenses remain suspended until each reason for suspension has been rectified, according to the OLR.