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Jeffrey Howard Sadler (WSBA No. 27136, admitted 1997) of Tacoma, resigned in lieu of discipline, effective 8/29/2022. Sadler agrees that he is aware of the alleged misconduct in disciplinary counsel’s Statement of Alleged Misconduct and rather than defend against the allegations, wishes to permanently resign from membership in the Association. The Statement of Alleged Misconduct reflects the following violations of the Rules of Professional Conduct: 1.3 (Diligence), 1.4(c) (Professional Liability Insurance), 1.15A (Safeguarding Property), 4.1 (Truthfulness in Statements to Others), 8.1 (Bar Admission and Disciplinary Matters), 8.4(a) (Attempt, Assists or Induce), 8.4(b) (Criminal Act), 8.4(c) (Dishonesty, Fraud, Deceit or Misrepresentation), 8.4 (l) ELC violation.
Sadler’s misconduct, as stated in disciplinary counsel’s Statement of Alleged Misconduct, related to his personal injury law practice. Sadler’s alleged misconduct includes: 1) removing funds belonging to clients and/or third parties from trust without entitlement; 2) withdrawing client funds from trust for Sadler’s own use without notifying the clients whose funds were withdrawn; 3) disbursing funds from trust to clients and third persons long after those funds were received; 4) making withdrawals from trust to cash, and/or making withdrawals using withdrawal slips instead of by check or by electronic transfer; 5) signing Client A’s name to a release to settle Client A’s case after Client A’s death without revealing that Client A had died; 6) providing false information to Client B about the status of funds withheld from Client B’s settlement for medical liens; 7) failing to provide a prompt and/or complete response to the Office of Disciplinary Counsel’s request for records and information as required by ELC 5.3(f) and/or ELC 5.3(g); 8) failing to take any meaningful action on Client C’s minor child’s case after the initial letter of representation; 9) failing to respond to Client C’s reasonable requests for information about the status of the case and/or by providing false information to Client C about actions Sadler purportedly was taking to move the case forward; 10) falsely stating to the Office of Disciplinary Counsel that Sadler did not represent Client C with respect to Client C’s minor child’s injury; and 11) removing and/or attempting to remove the entry that Client C’s minor child’s case had been opened from his firm’s case management software.
Francesca D'Angelo and Joanne S. Abelson acted as disciplinary counsel. Stephen Christopher Smith represented Respondent. The online version of Washington State Bar News contains a link to the following document: Resignation Form of Jeffrey Howard Sadler (ELC 9.3(b)).
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