THESE NOTICES OF THE IMPOSITION OF DISCIPLINARY SANCTIONS AND ACTIONS are published pursuant to Rule 3.5(c) of the Washington Supreme Court Rules for Enforcement of Lawyer Conduct. Active links to directory listings, RPC definitions, and documents related to the disciplinary matter can be found at the links below or by looking up the respondent in the legal directory on the WSBA website (www.wsba.org) and then scrolling down to “Discipline History.”
As some WSBA members share the same or similar names, please read all disciplinary notices carefully for names, cities, and bar numbers.
Find prior Discipline & Other Regulatory Notices here.
. . .
Disbarred
Micah David Fargey (WSBA No. 50120, admitted 2015) of Portland, OR, was disbarred, effective 8/31/2022, by order of the Washington Supreme Court imposing reciprocal discipline in accordance with an order of the Supreme Court of the State of Oregon. For more information, see https://www.osbar.org/_docs/dbreport/2021/FARGEYMicahD21-38&21-59.pdf. Henry Cruz acted as disciplinary counsel. Micah David Fargey represented themselves. The online version of Washington State Bar News contains a link to the following document: The Washington Supreme Court Order.
Resigned in Lieu of Discipline
Fred Warren Inman (WSBA No. 57944, admitted 2021) of Sequim, resigned in lieu of discipline, effective 9/19/2022. Inman 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: 8.4(b) (Criminal Act), 8.4(i) (Moral Turpitude, Corruption or Disregard of Rule of Law).
Inman’s alleged conduct, as stated in disciplinary counsel’s Statement of Alleged Misconduct, related to his guilty plea in a Clallam County felony criminal matter. Inman’s alleged misconduct involves committing the crime of Possession of Depictions of a Minor Engaged in Sexually Explicit Conduct in the Second Degree.
Kathy Jo Blake acted as disciplinary counsel. Fred Warren Inman represented himself. The online version of Washington State Bar News contains a link to the following document: Resignation Form of Fred Warren Inman (ELC 9.3(b)).
. . .
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)).
Suspended
Daniel C. Gordy (WSBA No. 18917, admitted 1989) of Seattle, was suspended for 3 months, effective 9/08/2022, by order of the Washington Supreme Court. Gordy’s conduct violated the following Rules of Professional Conduct: 1.3 (Diligence), 1.15A (Safeguarding Property), 1.15B (Required Trust Account Records), 3.2 (Expediting Litigation).
In relation to his conduct during the representation of a client in a personal injury case, and to his handling of his trust account, Gordy stipulated to suspension for: 1) failing to maintain checkbook registers for clients that included all required transaction information, failing to maintain client ledgers, and by failing to reconcile the trust account checkbook registers to the total of all client ledgers; 2) maintaining an unreasonable amount of personal funds in trust; 3) failing to hold client funds in trust that he should have been holding; 4) failing to promptly pay trust funds to clients or third persons entitled to receive them; and 5) failing to complete service on a party in a lawsuit, failing to meet court deadlines, failing to respond to court notices of lapses, and by failing to appear on a scheduled trial date.
Kathy Jo Blake and M Craig Bray acted as disciplinary counsel. Jeffrey T. Kestle represented respondent. Andrekita Silva was the hearing officer. Karen A. Clark was the settlement hearing officer. The online version of Washington State Bar News contains links to the following documents: Disciplinary Board Order Approving Stipulation; Stipulation to Suspension; and Washington Supreme Court Order.
. . .
Kathy Hao (WSBA No. 55972, admitted 2020) of Pasadena, CA, was suspended for six months, effective 6/22/2022, by order of the Washington Supreme Court imposing reciprocal discipline in accordance with an order of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). For more information, see https://foiadocuments.uspto.gov/oed/Final-Order-(Hao)-(D2021-14).pdf. Benjamin J. Attanasio acted as disciplinary counsel. Kevin M. Bank represented respondent. The online version of Washington State Bar News contains a link to the following document: The Washington Supreme Court Order.
Patrick Michael Megaro (WSBA No. 50050, admitted 2015) of Winter Park, FL, was suspended for five years, effective 9/22/2022, by order of the Washington Supreme Court imposing reciprocal discipline in accordance with an order of the Supreme Court of the State of North Carolina. For more information, see https://www.ncbar.gov/handlers/DisciplinaryOrderHandler.ashx?url=%5C Megaro,%20Patrick%2M%20Order%20of%20Discipline.pdf&keyword=. Henry Cruz acted as disciplinary counsel. Patrick Michael Megaro represented themselves. The online version of Washington State Bar News contains a link to the following document: The Washington Supreme Court Order.
Reprimanded
David Peddy Kashani (WSBA No. 45829, admitted 2013) of Los Angeles, CA, was reprimanded, effective 3/24/2022, by order of the Washington Supreme Court imposing reciprocal discipline in accordance with an order of the Supreme Court of the State of Arizona. For more information, see https://www.azcourts.gov/Portals/101/2022/Kashani%20PDJ%202022-9015.pdf?ver=
IkmmXNIMH24-EQNI2uqyAg%3d%3d. Benjamin J. Attanasio acted as disciplinary counsel. Jean Hee Cha Koh represented respondent. The online version of Washington State Bar News contains a link to the following document: The Washington Supreme Court Order.
Notice of Hearing on Petition for Reinstatement of Karl Wesley Kime
A petition for reinstatement after disbarment has been filed by Karl Wesley Kime (WSBA No. 41668), who was admitted in 2009 and disbarred in 2015. A hearing on Kime’s petition will be conducted before the Character and Fitness Board on Friday, December 16, 2022. Anyone wishing to do so may file with the Character and Fitness Board a written statement for or against reinstatement, setting forth factual matters showing that the petition does or does not meet the requirements of Washington State Supreme Court Admission and Practice Rule (APR) 25.5(a). Except by the Character and Fitness Board’s leave, no person other than the petitioner or petitioner’s counsel shall be heard orally by the Board.
Communications to the Character and Fitness Board should be sent to Lisa Amatangel, Counsel to the Character and Fitness Board, Washington State Bar Association, 1325 Fourth Ave., Ste. 600, Seattle, WA 98101-2539, or to lisaa@wsba.org. This notice is published pursuant to APR 25.4(a).