Shawn J. Brown of Cleveland had been indefinitely suspended in October 2011 for misconduct, but continued to represent clients and appear in court. Today, in a unanimous decision, the Ohio Supreme Court permanently prohibited Brown from practicing law again in the state.

The court had ordered the indefinite suspension in 2011 because Brown had neglected cases for three different clients, did not properly communicate with the clients, and failed to give them money to which they were entitled. Yet, throughout much of the next year, Brown filed documents with various courts and appeared on behalf of clients during proceedings in four other cases.

In another matter, a woman paid Brown $550 to transfer real estate to her father. When Brown did not produce the new deed, the woman discovered on the Internet that he was suspended. Brown has neither transferred the property nor refunded the fee she paid.

The Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association, which filed this complaint against Brown, tried to contact the attorney at least 14 times. One certified letter was signed for, and a package with all the materials about the disciplinary allegations was personally delivered to Brown. He never replied to the bar association’s request for a response.

Because Brown kept practicing law on multiple occasions during his suspension and because he did not cooperate as required with the disciplinary investigation, the court in a per curiam opinion concluded that disbarment was the appropriate sanction.

2013-1885. Cleveland Metro. Bar Assn. v. Brown, Slip Opinion No. 2015-Ohio-2344.

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