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January 13, 2017
STATE OF MINNESOTA
OFFU:EGF
IN SUPREME COURT APftu!AlE:Ccuns
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In re Petition for Disciplinary Action against
Eric Chiadikobi Anunobi, a Minnesota Attorney,
Registration No. 0388986.
ORDER
The Director of the Office of Lawyers Professional Responsibility has filed a
petition for disciplinary action alleging that respondent Eric Chiadikobi Anunobi
committed the following professional misconduct: failing to maintain the required trust
account books and records, resulting in shortages in his trust account and the unintentional
misappropriation of client funds; and disclosing information related to the representation
of a client. See Minn. R. Prof. Conduct l.15(a), l.15(c)(3), 1.6(a), 8.4(d), and Appendix 1
thereto.
Respondent waives his procedural rights under Rule 14, Rules on Lawyers
Professional Responsibility (RLPR), and unconditionally admits the allegations of the
petition. The parties jointly recommend that the appropriate discipline is a public
reprimand and 2 years of probation during which respondent's books and records will be
available for the Director's review.
The court has independently reviewed the file and approves the recommended
disposition.
Based upon all the files, records, and proceedings herein,
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IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that respondent Eric Chiadikobi Anunobi is publicly
reprimanded and placed on 2 years of probation subject to 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
promptly respond to the Director's correspondence by the due date.
Respondent shall provide the Director with a current mailing address and
shall immediately notify the Director of any change of address. 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 abide by the Minnesota Rules of Professional
Conduct.
(c) Respondent shall be supervised by a licensed Minnesota attorney,
appointed by the Director, to monitor compliance with the terms of this
probation. Within 14 days from the date of this order, respondent shall
provide the Director with the names of four attorneys who have agreed to be
nominated as respondent's supervisor. Respondent shall nominate
supervisors who not only agree to serve in a supervisory capacity but also
agree to be available to answer questions, provide guidance, and work with
respondent to address issues that may come up in his practice. If, after
diligent effort, respondent is unable to locate a supervisor acceptable to the
Director, the Director shall seek to appoint a supervisor. Until a supervisor
has signed a consent to supervise, respondent shall, on the first day of each
month, provide the Director with an inventory of client files as described in
paragraph (d) below. Respondent shall make active client files available to
the Director upon request.
(d) Respondent shall cooperate fully with the supervisor's efforts to
monitor compliance with this probation. Respondent shall contact the
supervisor and schedule a minimum of one in-person meeting per calendar
quarter. Respondent shall submit to the supervisor an inventory of all active
client files by the first day of each month during the probation. 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
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with the Director at least quarterly, or at such more frequent intervals as the
Director may reasonably request.
( e) Respondent shall maintain trust account books and records in
compliance with Minn. R. Prof. Conduct 1.15 and Appendix 1 thereto. These
books and records include the following: client subsidiary ledgers,
checkbook registers, monthly trial balance reports, monthly reconciliation
reports, bank statements, canceled checks (if they are provided with bank
statements), duplicate deposit slips, bank reports of interest, service charges,
and interest payments to the Minnesota IOLTA Program, and bank wire,
electronic, or telephone transfer confirmations. Such books and records shall
be made available to the Director within 30 days from the filing of this order
and thereafter at such intervals as the Director deems necessary to determine
compliance.
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that respondent shall pay $900 in costs pursuant to
Rule 24, RLPR.
Dated: January 13, 2017 BY THE COURT:
David R. Stras
Associate Justice
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