Cincinnati Bar, Ohio Supreme Court Slam Attorneys Teaming Up With Upfront Fee Loan Modification, Foreclosure Rescue Operators

In a 2008 court decision, the Ohio Supreme Court disciplined three attorneys for professional misconduct in connection with working with the customers of foreclosure rescue operator Foreclosure Solutions, L.L.C. Among the types of conduct that landed the attorneys in hot water were:

• using a person or organization to recommend or promote the lawyers’ services,
• aiding nonlawyers in the unauthorized practice of law,
• improperly sharing legal fees with nonlawyers,
• failing to seek lawful objectives of clients by failing to assess their individual needs, and
• handling legal matters without adequate preparation.

For the specific facts and surrounding circumstances that led to the filing of the complaints with the Cincinnati Bar Association by the homeowners facing foreclosure, see Cincinnati Bar Assn. v. Mullaney, 119 Ohio St.3d 412, 2008-Ohio-4541 (2008).