A lawyer with lost pants has been suspended for 90 days for his $67 million dollar lawsuit against his dry cleaner. The suspension apparently concludes a saga that goes back well over 10 years. We all have our favorite stuff, and apparently this lawyer was no different and was not taking “yes” for an answer – even refusing offers of judgment of up to $12,000 for the lost pants. This should be a teachable moment for lawyers and clients alike. Before engaging in sartorial surliness, one must take a step back, a deep breath and reevaluate one’s priorities. The lost time – and pants – are not coming back.
“The District of Columbia Court of Appeals has suspended a former administrative law judge who claimed in a lawsuit that a dry cleaners owed him more than $67 million for losing his pants. The appeals court agreed with the board’s recommendation, saying [he] did not accept responsibility for his actions—or even contemplate that his conduct violated ethics rules…[he] initially demanded $15,000 for emotional distress and $15,000 in punitive damages….[and his] compensation demands “escalated dramatically” as the case went on, eventually reaching $67 million, the appeals court said.”
Read: Lawyer gets suspended for pursuing lawsuit of more than $67M over lost pants at ABA Journal – Top Stories