The California State Bar, has issued a “consumer alert” concerning disgraced attorney Michael Avenatti, saying it was moving to suspend him from the practice of law because his alleged conduct “poses a substantial threat of harm to clients or the public.”
The sudden development further accentuated Avenatti’s dramatic public fall from grace as he faces numerous federal criminal charges in both California and New York courts for allegedly trying to blackmail the clothing giant Nike, impersonating a client, misappropriating client funds for personal purchases, and “related matters.”
“The State Bar of California has filed a petition to enroll this licensee on interim inactive status, alleging that the licensee’s conduct poses a substantial threat of harm to clients or the public,” the State Bar said on its website, noting Avenatti is presumed innocent but that it expects to ultimately disbar him entirely from the practice of law. “The petition involves a charge that the licensee engaged in a major misappropriation of client funds.”
Avenatti Responds
Reached by Fox News, Avenatti responded, “The action by the CA State Bar is nothing more than a ‘pile-on’ and was entirely expected in light of the pending charges. I offered to cooperate with the bar and instead they decided to issue a press release as a stunt. I look forward to being fully exonerated by the facts.”
According to Fox, the nearly 600-page petition to initiate Avenatti’s involuntary suspension, focuses primarily — but not exclusively — on the case of former Avenatti client Gregory Barela, who has alleged the celebrity lawyer illegally withheld settlement funds in a “Ponzi-like” scheme and then repeatedly lied about it.
Text messages and email conversations between Avenatti and Barela, exclusively obtained by Fox News earlier this year, documented the client’s persistent efforts for several months last year to locate and obtain the funds pursuant to a settlement agreement, which resulted from the client’s intellectual property dispute with an out-of-state company.
And financial documents reviewed by Fox News show that the money had been wired to an account designated by Avenatti on Jan. 5, 2018, but that Avenatti continued to dodge increasingly frantic questions from Barela as to where “his money” was.
The California bar charged that Avenatti provided Barela a forged settlement agreement, noting that in doing so, Avenatti still owes Barela “more than $700,000.” The petition to disbar went on to say that, the evidence against Avenatti was “clear and convincing,” and that Avenatti had provided no defense or even response to the bar’s investigators.
“We are grateful that the California State Bar has taken action to investigate and suspend Mr. Avenatti from the practice of law,” attorney Steven Bledsoe, who represents Barela in his civil case against Avenatti, told Fox News. “Mr. Avenatti has stolen money from multiple clients, violated their trust, and should never be allowed to practice law again.”
Avenatti has “refused to provide an accounting concerning the settlement funds,” as required by California law, Bledsoe said. “Mr. Avenatti has had two months to answer the simple question of whether he received the initial settlement payment for Mr. Barela and he has refused to answer. In the meantime, the settling party has provided us with wire-transfer confirmations showing that they made the settlement payment into Mr. Avenatti’s client trust account, at Mr. Avenatti’s direction.”
People with sleaze in their heart and in their character will eventually be destroy by Karma…Mr. Avenatti has proven he lacks trust, has the mind of a criminal, uses smoke & mirrors tactics to deceive his clients and is incapable of telling the truth. He has proven he was willing to spend money that belonged to his clients to indulge his personal extravagances to feed his gluttonous pleasures…he is totally irresponsible like a juvenile “Bad Seed” that never grew up. He owes major bucks in state and federal taxes, back wages and legal settlements…Wow, what a fucking moron…he does not just deserve to lose his license to practice law he deserves to be abandoned from civil society…Jail is a good start…perhaps after 20 years behind bars he will learn to behave—but with this hideous jerk, don’t hold my breath.
Agreed. However, Mr. Avenatti is one of numerous lawyers who should be suspended. From the neck.
As it is said, what lies on the bottom of the ocean?
Answer, crooked lawyers, using whale turds as a blanket, lowest form of life.
This guy is so arrogant, saying he will be cleared of all charges.
The feds have an iron clad case of extortion of Nike on him.
He will be convicted and get a first class room at a fed prison, for about 30 years I hope.
I wonder if he will blame the President for his demise???
People like him make me sick to my stomach.
I spent 20 years as a city detective, never saw anyone operate as low as this guy has.
When and if he gets out, he can use his crooked talents as a used car salesman, until he gets caught.
Best idea: Why not set up a fund to put out a contract on this dirt-bag, along with enemies of America, like Omar, Tlaib and Cortez? Bet that would be a big success and in a very short period of time.
BYE BYE MR. A…….LOL
a really true democrat they are all alike lie lie lie
It is amazing these corrupt lawyers feel they can do everything corrupt and never have to deal with it. They have such a high belief that they are above the law and will never be caught. Stealing clients settlement funds is a crime. Any idiot can figure that out but not an arrogant lawyer. Goes to show, Many lawyers have little to no common sense or integrity. Just gigantic Ego’s.
That’s good for a crooked lawyer!
My most un-favorite philosopher, Friedrich Nietsche, sometimes got it right, and he has a word for Avenatti: “The consequences of our actions grab us by the back of the neck, blithely disregarding the fact that we have in the meantime ‘reformed.’ “
Bye creep
Put him in prison fo as long as possible. He is a thief and loser.
OK.. FINALLY.. GO AWAY TROLL.. HES FACING 403 YEARS YET HOW DARE WE ACCUSE THIS POMPOUS ASSHOLE OF ANYTHING ILLEGAL.
GUY REPS FOR A B LEVEL TITTIE DANCER SKANKY NUFF TO DO PORN FLICKS.. CLASSY ..
THIS GUY IS A STRAIGHT UP LYING, THIEVING SOB THAT IS A BAD APPLE. JUST GO AWAY AND GET OUT OF PEOPLES MINDS. ENJOY TAKING IT UP THE A– IN WHATEVER MAX THEY PUT YOU IN . HE WILL BE FORGOTTEN QUICKLY.. XCEPT FOR THE DEMS THAT ARE BEHIND HIS PRESIDENTIAL RUN ..YEA RIGHT..