SAN FRANCISCO – Los Angeles attorney Edward Joon Lee faces suspension and probation following a May 16 California Supreme Court order over issues with a medical lien and trust account, according to a recent report issued by the State Bar of California and court documents.
Lee allegedly failed to timely pay a client's contractual medical lien and violated professional conduct rules regarding his trust account, according to the state bar's report.
The Supreme Court handed down a stayed one-year suspension and a year of conditional probation with the first 60 days spent on suspension. Conditions of Lee's probation include passing the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination as previously recommended by the California State Bar Court's Hearing Department.
Lee also was ordered to pay costs.
Lee's discipline will be effective Saturday, June 15, according to an announcement recently posted on the state bar's website.
Lee was admitted to the bar in California on Dec. 4, 2002, according to his profile at the state bar website. Lee had no prior discipline before the state bar, according to his profile.
Lee allegedly failed to pay his client's contractual medical lien, despite multiple requests received between December 2014 and June 2017, according to the stipulation filed with the State Bar Court in January. Lee did pay the lien in June 2017.
Lee's failure to timely pay the lien prompted the medical provider to sue Lee's client in small claims court, which ended in a judgment entered against the client, who was subsequently subjected to a judgment debtor's exam, according to the stipulation.
Lee also allegedly failed to render an appropriate accounting to his client regarding the $6,000 in settlement funds Lee received on his client's behalf, to maintain proper accounting records for the settlement funds and to timely withdraw earned attorney's fees from his client trust account.