The case, in re Barry Michael Lewis, 2016 PR 00007, concerns allegations that an attorney allegedly continued to receive domestic partner insurance benefits for 8 years after he was ineligible to receive said benefits.
The Hearing Board found liability and recommended a six-month suspension. The ARDC Review Board reduced the punishment to censure because no clients were harmed. The Review Board explains its ruling:
The Hearing Board’s sanction analysis in this case is well-reasoned and guides our recommendation. However, we believe that, in recommending a six-month suspension, the Hearing Board gave insufficient consideration to the fact that Respondent’s conduct did not involve or impact any clients. While any conduct involving personal or professional dishonesty is inexcusable and warrants discipline, in this matter, Respondent’s record of representing clients and conducting himself ethically in his profession remains unblemished after over 40 years of practice. Imposing discipline that would trigger the requirements of Supreme Court Rule 764, including the requirement that Respondent notify clients, courts, and others of his discipline, seems unduly harsh and akin to punishment. We thus have strived to reach a sanction recommendation that recognizes the seriousness of Respondent’s misconduct and achieves the objectives of discipline but does not seek to punish Respondent.
Accordingly, taking into account Respondent’s misconduct as well as the aggravating and mitigating factors present here, and giving particular consideration to the fact that Respondent’s misconduct did not involve or affect any clients, we recommend that Respondent be suspended for five months. We believe that this sanction is commensurate with Respondent’s misconduct, consistent with discipline that has been imposed for comparable misconduct, and sufficient to serve the goals of attorney discipline and deter others from committing similar misconduct.
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