STATE OF MINNESOTA
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September 30, 2015
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IN SUPREME COURT API!'B..I!A'IEC'"'"',-_..,,.,
A14-1384
In re Petition for Disciplinary Action against
Kristian Lee Oyen, a Minnesota Attorney,
Registration No. 386383.
ORDER
The Director of the Office of Lawyers Professional Responsibility has filed a
petition for disciplinary action alleging that respondent Kristian Lee Oyen committed
professional misconduct warranting public discipline, namely, while on disciplinary
probation, engaging in a pattern of failing to appear for hearings, neglect, and
incompetence, in violation of Minn. R. Prof. Conduct 1.1, 1.3, 3.2, 3.4(c), and 8.4(d).
Respondent waives his procedural rights under Rule 14, Rules on Lawyers Professional
Responsibility (RLPR), and admits the allegations of the petition. The parties jointly
recommend that the appropriate discipline is a 90-day suspension, followed by 2 years of
supervised probation.
The court has independently reviewed the file and approves the recommended
disposition.
Based upon all the files, records, and proceedings therein,
IT IS HEREBY ORDERED THAT:
1. Respondent Kristian Lee Oyen is suspended from the practice of law for a
minimum of90 days, effective 14 days from the date of the filing of this order.
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2. Respondent shall comply with Rule 26, RLPR (requiring notice of
suspension to clients, opposing counsel, and tribunals), and shall pay $900 in costs
pursuant to Rule 24, RLPR.
3. Respondent may be reinstated to the practice of law upon the expiration of
the suspension period pursuant to Rule 18(f), RLPR, provided that, no less than 15 days
before the expiration of the suspension period, he files with the Clerk of Appellate Courts
and serves upon the Director an affidavit attesting that he has complied with Rules 24 and
26, RLPR; is current in continuing legal education requirements; since the date of this
order has completed 15 eligible credit hours of continuing legal education courses
focused in the areas of trial advocacy and law office management; and has complied with
all other conditions for reinstatement imposed by this order.
4. Upon reinstatement to the practice of law, respondent shall be subject to
supervised probation for a period of 2 years, with the following terms and conditions:
a. Respondent shall cooperate fully with the Director's Office in its
efforts to monitor compliance with this probation. Respondent shall
provide the Director with a current mailing address and shall immediately
notify the Director of any change of address. Respondent shall promptly
respond to the Director's correspondence by the due date. Respondent shall
cooperate with the Director's investigation of any allegations of
unprofessional conduct that may come to the Director's attention. Upon the
Director's request, respondent shall authorize the release of information and
documentation to verify compliance with the terms of this probation.
b. Respondent shall be supervised by a licensed Minnesota attorney
appointed by the Director to monitor compliance with the terms of this
probation. Respondent shall provide the Director with the names of four
attorneys who have agreed to be nominated as respondent's supervisor
within 2 weeks from the date of the filing of the court's order. If, after
diligent effort, respondent is unable to locate a supervisor acceptable to the
Director, the Director will seek to appoint a supervisor. Until a supervisor
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has signed a consent to supervise, respondent shall on the first day of each
month provide the Director with an inventory of active client files, as
described in paragraph c below. Respondent shall make active client files
available to the Director upon request.
c. Respondent shall cooperate fully with the supervisor's efforts to
monitor compliance with probation. Respondent shall contact the
supervisor and schedule a minimum of one in-person meeting per calendar
quarter. By the first day of each month during probation, respondent shall
provide the supervisor with an inventory of all active client files. With
respect to each active file, the inventory shall disclose the client name, type
of representation, date opened, most recent activity, next anticipated action,
and anticipated closing date. Respondent's supervisor shall file written
reports with the Director at least quarterly, or at such more frequent
intervals as the Director may reasonably request.
d. Respondent shall initiate and maintain office procedures that ensure
that there are prompt responses to correspondence, telephone calls, and
other important communications from clients, courts, and other persons
with an interest in matters that respondent is handling, and that ensure that
respondent regularly reviews each and every file and completes legal
matters on a timely basis.
e. Within 30 days from the date of the filing of the court's order,
respondent shall provide the Director and his probation supervisor, if any, a
written plan outlining office procedures designed to ensure that respondent
is in compliance with probation requirements. Respondent shall provide
progress reports as requested.
f. Respondent shall abide by the Minnesota Rules of Professional
Conduct.
5. Within 1 year of the date of the filing of this order, respondent shall file
with the Clerk of Appellate Courts and serve upon the Director proof that respondent has
successfully completed the professional responsibility portion of the state bar
examination. Failure to do so shall result in automatic re-suspension, pending successful
completion of the examination, pursuant to Rule 18(e)(3), RLPR.
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Dated: September 30, 2015
BY THE COURT:
David R. Stras
Associate Justice
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