During 2004, the respondent was practicing law in Massachusetts as a solo practitioner. While practicing in this capacity, the respondent utilized stationery that identified her practice as “Williams & Zachery”. The respondent was not in a partnership with an attorney named Williams during 2004, or at any other time. By intentionally holding herself out as a member of a law firm called “Williams & Zachery” the respondent misled clients, courts and opposing counsel into believing that she was practicing in a partnership, thus making a false and misleading statement about her services.
During a portion of 2004, the respondent utilized letterhead listing two other attorneys as “of counsel” to “Williams & Zachery”. Neither attorney listed as “of counsel” on respondent’s letterhead had any affiliation with the respondent or authorized the respondent to list him on her letterhead as “of counsel”. By intentionally misrepresenting that the two attorneys were “of counsel” to a law firm in which the respondent was a member, the respondent misled clients, courts and opposing counsel into believing that she was affiliated with the two listed counsel. In so doing, the respondent made a false and misleading statement about her services.
By using a firm name and letterhead that made false and misleading statements about her affiliations with other lawyers, the respondent violated Mass. R. Prof. C. 7.1 and 7.5(a).
This matter came before the Board of Bar Overseers on a stipulation of facts and a joint recommendation that a sanction of public reprimand be imposed. On January 8, 2007, the Board voted to accept the stipulation of the parties and to administer a public reprimand to the respondent.
