TO BE PUBLISHED
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MEREDITH LYNN LAWRENCE MOVANT
KBA MEMBER NO·. 40365
v. IN SUPREME COURT
KENTUCKY BAR ASSOCIATION RESPONDENT
OPINION AND.ORDER
Pursuant to Supreme Court Rule (SCR) 3.480(2), Movant, Meredith Lynn
Lawrence, moves this Court to impose a five-year suspension from the practice
of law for his admitted violati~ns of SCR 3. l30(8.~)(b), to b~ applied
retroactively to July 6, 2012, the date of his temporary suspension. The
K~~tucky Bar Association (KBA) has no objection to the proposed .discipline.
Finding this agreed upon discipli~ary sanction to .be app;ropriate under
the facts of this case, we grant Movant's motion. Movant's KBA member
number is 40365 and his bar roster address is 107 E. High Street, P.O. Box
1330, :Warsaw, ~entucky 41095.
KHA FILE 16392
A formal complaint was filed against Movant on December 6, 2011, after
he was indicted in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District. of Kentucky for
tax fraud for years 2004, 2005,. and 2006. ~suant to SCR 3.166, Movant
was temporarily suspended from the practice oflaw·on July 6, 2012, after he
was convicted of those charges .. He was sentenced to 27 months but served 24
due to go~d behavior and made full restitution in the amount of $128,000.00.
Although M~vant still has some appellate relief pending, he has determined his
success is unlikely.
. As previously noted,. the KBA has no objection to the proposed discipline,
which wa~ negotiated pursuant to SCR 3.480(2). In support,·the KBA'cites
several cases in which a sim~lar sanc~on was imposed on attorneys who were.
either <:onvicted or pied guilty to tax ·fraud. · ~.g., Sivasubramaniain v. Kentucky
Bar Association, 487 S.W.3d 891 (Ky. 2016); and McEnroe v. Kentucky Bar
Association, 408 S.W.3d 750 (Ky. 2013). In ~oth of those cases, the amount of
restitution ordered was significantly in excess of the $128;000.00 that has
been paid by Movant.
Accordingly, it is hereby ORDERED that:
1) Movant~ Meredith Lynn Lawrence, KBA Member No. 40365, is
·suspended from the practice of law in the Commonwealth of Kentucky for five
ye0!S to be applied retroactively to July 6, 2012'; effective upon the date of
entry of this order~ pending further orders of this Court;
2) Movant shall timely satisfy_ all continuing legal education
requ~ements;
3) Movant shall tiniely pay his KBA member dues; and
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4) Pursuant to SCR 3.450,-Movant is directed to pay all costs associated
with these· disciplinary proceedings.
All sitting. All concur. .
ENTERED: December 14, 2017.
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