LOS ANGELES — The State Bar Court of California recently suspended Sean Donrad, a Walnut Creek attorney, for not complying with the conditions of a previous suspension order.
According to the November 21 decision, Donrad was placed on a six-month suspension followed by a three-year probation on July 26, 2014 for misconduct in two client matters.
Donrad had an ad running on television in Farsi stating that he handled immigration matters, according to court documents. After seeing the ad, a man contacted Donrad’s law firm to help him file for the Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants (CAPI).
A $300 check was rendered to the attorney with “for legal services” written in the memo. However, during this time, Donrad was not entitled to practice law. When questioned by the California State Bar, Donrad allegedly provided false information saying that he was helping the man fill out forms as a favor and not as a legal representative. In addition, the attorney did not actually perform the legal services he was retained to provide and failed to communicate with his client. Eventually, a refund check of $300 was issued by the attorney as restitution.
In the second matter, Donrad was hired in January 2010 to represent a man in a civil suit. After filing the suit, the attorney failed to perform any further services and did not attend conferences on behalf of his client. In this matter, Donrad was also charged with failing to respond to the state bar’s investigation.
As part of Donrad’s disciplinary order, the attorney was required to take and pass the Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam. After he did not provide proof to the state bar that he had passed the test, Donrad was placed on another suspension.
Donrad is a graduate of the Golden State University School of Law in San Francisco. He has been a member of the California State Bar since 2006 and was suspended on two prior occasions. His first suspension was ordered in October 2011 for for failing to perform legal services. Donrad was also suspended in Septmeber 2013 for two years after being found guilty of making misrepresentations to judges and failing to perform legal services.