Los Angeles attorney Joseph Frieden Hanan has been disbarred by the California State Bar following alleged probation violations stemming from a private reproval he received in 2014, according to a recent decision.
Hanan allegedly violated state bar rules when he failed to file a declaration of compliance as required by a California Supreme Court order, according to the state bar’s eight-page decision and order of involuntary inactive enrollment, disbarring Hanan. The state bar handed down the decision July 19.
The state bar filed its notice of disciplinary charges against Hanan in October and, when Hanan failed to respond, filed a motion of default in December, according to the decision. In cases such as this one, in which an attorney fails to participate in a California State Bar disciplinary proceeding despite adequate notice and opportunity, the bar invokes Rule 5.85, the procedure recommending an attorney’s disbarment by default.
The state bar's decision is pending final action by the California Supreme Court, an appeal before the state bar's review department or expiration of time in which parties to may request further review within the State Bar Court.
Hanan was admitted to the bar in California on Jan. 23, 2004, according to his profile at the state bar website.
In a prior record of discipline before the state bar in May 2016, Hanan was suspended 90 days, placed on two years' probation and ordered to take the multistate professional responsibility examination after he failed to comply with the conditions of an earlier private reproval, according to his profile. In that discipline, Hanan admitted to not meeting quarterly report deadlines, not making final report to probation, not attending self-help group meetings, not taking and passing the MPRE or attending ethics school. Hanan also allegedly stated under penalty of perjury that he had met the requirements of his reproval when he had not.
The private reproval was for failing to communicate or cooperate with a state bar disciplinary investigation, according to his profile.
Hanan faced a one-year suspension if he failed to comply with the terms of his disciplinary probation, according to the order that took effect May 29, 2016.
Previously, Hanan was suspended for failing to pay his state bar dues in September 2006 and July 2013, according to his profile.