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 Discipline Notice Directory at https://mywsba.org/PersonifyEbusiness/DisciplineNoticeDirectory.
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.
Suspended
Timothy R. South (WSBA No. 26267, admitted 1996) of Longview, was suspended for one year, effective 2/03/2025, by order of the Washington Supreme Court. Briana Michelle Gieri acted as disciplinary counsel. Timothy R. South represented himself.
The lawyer’s conduct violated the following Rules of Professional Conduct: 1.3 (Diligence), 1.4 (Communication), 3.2 (Expediting Litigation), 3.3 (Candor Toward the Tribunal), 8.4 (Misconduct), and 1.16 (Declining or Terminating Representation).
The hearing officer recommended, and the court ordered, that South be suspended from the practice of law in Washington state for one year, followed by probation for two years beginning on the date Timothy R. South is reinstated to active status to practice law.
South was found to have violated the Rules of Professional Conduct by: 1) failing to participate in a discovery conference, failing to update discovery, failing to respond to a motion for default, and motion in limine, failing to appear for the hearing on these motions, failing to move to vacate the default orders, and failing to timely file a response to the petition for dissolution; 2) failing to respond to a client’s requests for information, failing to inform the client about the upcoming trial, and failing to discuss with them the implications of respondent’s failures to respond to the petition for dissolution, discovery, motion for default, and motion in limine; 3) knowingly making false statements to the court; 4) failing to promptly return the client’s file after the representation terminated; and 5) failing to timely provide a preliminary written response to the grievance, and failing to appear at a deposition, and to comply with a subpoena requiring the production of records.
Decision documents: Hearing Officer’s Decision; Disciplinary Board Order Declining Sua Sponte Review and Adopting Hearing Officer’s Recommendation; and Washington Supreme Court Order.
Interim Suspension
Mark Ture Elliott (WSBA No. 54007, admitted 2018) of Tacoma, is suspended from the practice of law in the state of Washington under ELC 7.2(a)(3), effective 2/13/2025, by order of the Washington Supreme Court. This is not a disciplinary sanction.
Joseph W Kuhlman (WSBA No. 42884, admitted 2010) of Spokane, is suspended from the practice of law in the state of Washington under ELC 7.2(a)(3), effective 2/26/2025, by order of the Washington Supreme Court. This is not a disciplinary sanction.
Andrew Michael Reeves (WSBA No. 47116, admitted 2014) of Tacoma, is suspended from the practice of law in the state of Washington pending the outcome of supplemental proceedings, effective 2/21/2025, by order of the Washington Supreme Court. This is not a disciplinary sanction.
Jeremiah Spencer Styles (WSBA No. 49543, admitted 2015) of Edmonds, is suspended from the practice of law in the state of Washington pending the outcome of disciplinary proceedings, effective 10/29/2024, by order of the Washington Supreme Court. This is not a disciplinary sanction.
Transfer to Disability Inactive Status
Kurt Bradley Peterson (WSBA No. 27580, admitted 1997) of Seattle, was by stipulation transferred to disability inactive status, effective 1/31/2025. This is not a disciplinary action.