Illinois Supreme Court Suspends 6, Censures 1 in Latest Disciplinary Filing

The Illinois Supreme Court announced the filing of lawyer disciplinary orders on January 21, 2022. Sanctions were imposed because the lawyers engaged in professional misconduct by violating state ethics law.

Suspended

Paul D. Buhl, East Hampton, Connecticut 

Mr. Buhl was licensed in Illinois in 1985 and in Connecticut in 1987. In July 2017, the Superior Court for the Judicial District of Middlesex, Connecticut, suspended him until 1) he successfully completed a two-year period of probation in a criminal matter for operating a motor vehicle under the influence of liquor or drugs, and 2) he is reinstated to the practice of law in Connecticut, where was administratively suspended for failure to pay a mandatory Client Security Fund fee. The Superior Court later suspended Mr. Buhl for two years, retroactive to October 15, 2019, and required him to apply for reinstatement to the practice of law, for illegally operating a motor vehicle and failing to participate in his disciplinary proceedings. The Supreme Court of Illinois imposed reciprocal discipline and suspended him for two years and until he is reinstated to the practice of law in Connecticut. The suspension is effective on February 10, 2022.  

Timothy J. Fitzgerald, New Buffalo, Michigan

Mr. Fitzgerald, who was licensed in 1991, was suspended for three years and until further order of the Court retroactive to his March 8, 2018 interim suspension from the practice of law. His misconduct arose from his Michigan criminal convictions for manufacturing marijuana, maintaining a drug house, and possession of marijuana with the intent to deliver. A suspension until further order of the Court is an indefinite suspension which requires the suspended lawyer to petition for reinstatement after the fixed period of suspension ends. Reinstatement is not automatic and must be allowed by the Supreme Court of Illinois following a hearing before the ARDC Hearing Board.

Mark A. Hamill, Libertyville

Mr. Hamill, who was licensed in 1991, was suspended for three years and until further order of the Court and until he makes restitution to his former client. He failed to act with reasonable diligence in seeking a patent application for a client, he ignored the client’s attempts to reach him and then made false statements to the client about the status of her matter, he failed to return $2,975 in fees he had not earned, and he did not cooperate with a disciplinary investigation. A suspension until further order of the Court is an indefinite suspension which requires the suspended lawyer to petition for reinstatement after the fixed period of suspension ends. Reinstatement is not automatic and must be allowed by the Supreme Court of Illinois following a hearing before the ARDC Hearing Board.

Robert John Hankes, Warrenville 

Mr. Hankes, who was licensed in 2006, was suspended for three years and until he completes the ARDC Professionalism Seminar, for converting nearly $80,000 of client funds. He accomplished the conversion by reactivating a dormant client account at the law firm at which he was a shareholder, creating and sending multiple false invoices, directing payments to the formally dormant account, and submitting fraudulent reimbursement requests to his firm’s accounting department. The suspension is effective on February 10, 2022.   

Edward William Hynes, Chicago 

Mr. Hynes, who was licensed in 2016, was suspended for one year and until further order of the Court, with the suspension stayed after 90 days in favor of a three-year period of probation. He attempted to settle two cases without his clients’ permission and made misrepresentations to a tribunal and opposing counsel about the status of the cases. The suspension is effective on February 10, 2022.

Brent Michael Wills, Chicago 

Mr. Wills, who was licensed in 2007, was suspended for one year and until further order of the Court, with the suspension stayed after five months in favor of a two-year period of conditional probation. In two cases, Mr. Wills failed to appear in court for clients, leading to the dismissal of the cases. He then made misrepresentations to the clients about the status of the lawsuits. The suspension is effective on February 10, 2022.

Censured

Michael Christopher Burr, Chicago   

Mr. Burr, who was licensed in 1995, was censured and required to complete the ARDC Professionalism Seminar within one year of the order of discipline. In a bankruptcy matter, he filed a declaration by his client that purported to certify that the client had reviewed certain schedules and statements when he knew the client had not reviewed them. He also provided a false itemization of some of his time to the bankruptcy trustee, who was seeking information to substantiate Mr. Burr’s fees on the matter.