LOS ANGELES — The State Bar Court of California recently terminated a suspension order against Steven Kassam, a Corona attorney, after he passed the the Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam (MPRE), which was required of him after an April 2015 suspension.
Kassam was ordered active April 21 and is currently eligible to practice law in California.
According to the suspension order, Kassam accepted a $4,000 retainer to represent a woman in a lawsuit for a fraudulent transfer of interest for property. The woman resided in California, but the matter and property were in Texas. Kassam had not been admitted to the Texas State Bar and was not permitted to practice law in the state.
Despite his inability to practice law in Texas, the attorney filed two motions. The defendants in the case then filed discovery requests, which the attorney prepared. The case was eventually dismissed due to lack of prosecution, and the attorney billed his client for an additional $11,000 for 44 hours of legal work.
As part of the probation order, the attorney was required to take and pass the MPRE within a certain time frame. Kassam did not meet this requirement and had to remain on suspension until he provided the California State Bar with proof that he had passed the exam.
Kassam is a graduate of Queens College in New York and obtained his law degree from the University of West Los Angeles. He has been a member of the California State Bar since May 2003. Prior to the probation order, the attorney had no record of discipline. However, the state bar ruled him inactive in 2009 for failing to complete the minimum continuing legal education hours for his license.