SAN FRANCISCO (Northern California Record) — San Francisco attorney Drexel Andrew Bradshaw faces possible disbarment following a recently announced California State Bar Court recommendation over three of five counts of professional misconduct.
Allegations against Bradshaw stemmed from a scheme to defraud his now-deceased 90-year-old client of more than $157,000 from her trust, according to the 36-page decision and order of involuntary inactive enrollment issued Aug. 30 by the state bar court.
The state bar court found Bradshaw culpable of creating a scheme to defraud, breaching fiduciary duties as a trustee, and making misrepresentations in various documents, according to the decision and order. The court also dismissed with prejudice counts of misappropriation of entrusted funds and engaging in a contractor business without a license.
The court found Bradshaw "engaged in a prolonged scheme" to defraud the trust, the decision and order said. The alleged scheme involved multiple misrepresentations regarding his financial affiliation with a construction company for which he was attorney, hiring and paying an unlicensed contractor and requesting first and second reverse mortgages on his client's home. Bradshaw also allegedly failed to disclose relevant information to the probate so he could continue to function as trustee.
The state bar's recommendation 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 can request further review within the state bar court.
The state bar court's recommendation included an order that Bradshaw involuntarily enroll as an inactive member of the State Bar of California. That order was effective three calendar days after service, according to the recommendation.
Bradshaw's recommended discipline was among the dispositions filed earlier this month by the state bar court's hearing department for August.
Bradshaw was admitted to the bar in California on Dec. 4, 2000, according to his profile at the state bar website. Bradshaw had no prior discipline before the state bar, according to his profile.
In a previous mater in June 2009, Bradshaw was privately reproved with conditions after he stipulated to a single count of failing to communicate involving his failure to adequately inform his client about having received a check in the amount of $47,500, according to the decision and order.