SAN FRANCISCO (Northern California Record) — Rancho Cucamonga attorney Keith Quang Nguyen faces probation following a July 11 California Supreme Court order for allegedly failing to comply with conditions of a prior reproval, according to a recent State Bar of California announcement and court documents.
The Supreme Court handed down a stayed one-year suspension and a year of conditional probation. Conditions of Nguyen's probation include passing the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE) as previously recommended by the California State Bar Court's Hearing Department. He also was ordered to pay costs.
His discipline will be effective Aug. 10, according to an announcement recently posted on the state bar's website.
Nguyen was admitted to the bar in California on Dec. 3, 2009, according to his profile at the state bar website.
Nguyen's probation stems from a September 2016 stipulation filed prior to his reproval for, among other things, failing to cooperate in a state bar investigation into a client's complaint, according to a stipulation filed with the state bar court in March.
Nguyen agreed to a year of private reproval with conditions that included communicating with the state bar's probation office, submitting quarterly reports, attending the state bar's ethics school and passing the MPRE.
Nguyen allegedly failed to comply with reproval conditions by, among other things, failing to timely schedule the initial probation office meeting, submit two quarterly reports and provide proof that he passed the MPRE, according to the more recent stipulation.
Emotional and personal difficulties that Nguyen was having at the time was considered a mitigating factor in the more recent disciplinary proceeding against him, according to the March stipulation.
"In 2017, [Nguyen] suffered emotional difficulties following the breakup of his law firm, which forced him to shut down one office and relocate to the original office location," the stipulation said. "This office was plagued with significant employee issues resulting in a difficult work environment. Moreover, [Nguyen]'s former law partner set up a law firm in direct competition with respondent. [Nguyen] sought help in the form of counseling to learn to cope with his stress and anxiety."