Defending Texas Lawyers
Ray Taylor is an experienced and vigorous advocate for lawyers facing any type of disciplinary proceeding, from grievances, contempt of court, sanctions, or disbarments. He has authored one book and a Texas Bar journal article on the subject of attorney discipline. In addition, he was the organizer-moderator and a keynote speaker at the Texas Lawyer Liability Seminar, speaking on the topic of winning disbarment cases. He is one of only 36 lawyers of the 87,000 Texas lawyers to have passed the Board Certification exams in both Criminal Trial and Civil Trial Advocacy before the National Board of Trial Advocacy. He is a Diplomate of the American Board of Professional Liability Attorneys. These and his many other achievements make him a good choice for attorneys who need representation in disciplinary matters.
Contact Ray Taylor at (210) 807-9916 in San Antonio, Texas, to arrange an appointment to discuss your situation. If you are facing disbarment, a grievance, a client complaint or any disciplinary action that may affect your ability to practice law, speak with an experienced attorney who can act immediately to protect your livelihood. Time is of the essence!
Using his wealth of experience and knowledge to defend other attorneys
San Antonio Criminal Defense Attorney Ray Taylor wrote "Defending Lawyers in Disciplinary Proceedings" (31 Am. Jur. Trials) and co-authored "Lawyers in the Grievance Process, Three Views" (Texas Bar Journal, May, 1988). He has lectured on legal ethics for various programs sponsored by the State Bar of Texas and presented seminars on defending grievance and disbarment cases. He has served as an expert legal ethics witness for the State Bar of Texas .
Our firm defends against all types of ethical and professional misconduct allegations
Ray Taylor's knowledge and experience in defending attorneys who have been charged with:
- Grievance Defense
- Disbarrment Defense
- Unethical conduct
- Overcharging
- Embezzlement from trust funds
- Attempting to improperly influence a government official
- Disobedience of court orders
- Allowing someone else to pose as an attorney using his or her name
- Misrepresentation on bar admission applications
- Allegations of incompetence
- Malpractice
- Contempt of Court
1. The County Attorney (Prosecutor) of a neighboring county hired Mr. Taylor on Friday to defend his disbarment case the following Monday.
The State Bar's star witness was a most distinguished lawyer and former FBI Agent who seemed certain to be believed. His testimony was crucial for most of the State Bar's disbarment case.
Since the State Bar's Prosecutor was out of town, he used the star witness in jury selection, without objection from the defense.
Not surprisingly the State Bar opened its case with the former FBI Agent.
Mr. Taylor objected, pointing out the witness had helped pick the jury, a lawyerly function, and thus could not be a witness to contested matters, as is outlined in the Disciplinary Rules.
The Court agreed, and excluded the testimony. Subsequently, the State Bar lost on all counts, and the county attorney was not disciplined, and returned to his elected office.
2. A respected and distinguished attorney was accused of misapplication of funds of over $1,000,000. Indictment was avoided, but he was placed on 10 years probation to permit his partial repayment of the money in question.
While on probation, he continued to list his multiple board certifications on his letter head. The State Bar moved to revoke his probation since his Board Certifications had been revoked.
Mr. Taylor won at the trial level. The trial court found he should not be disciplined, because the Board Certification revocation process was unconstitutional for vagueness and for failure to give him adequate notice.
The trial court's decision was upheld on appeal, the appellate court declaring the rules for revocation were void for vagueness and thus unconstitutional.
Understanding the nuances of professional misconduct cases
Our law firm will mount a vigorous defense based on Ray Taylor's grasp of the relevant disciplinary rules, case law, and preparation of a thoroughly researched and well-written response to a grievance. A proper response is the key to successfully defending grievances. We know when it is appropriate to try to settle a case to minimize the impact of discipline and when it would be better to appear before the Commission for Lawyer Discipline or to elect for a jury trial. We know how to try and win a disbarment case, or a bar reinstatement suit for those who have been previously disbarred.
Our San Antonio criminal defense firm represents lawyers in related criminal and civil matters as well, knowing full well that sometimes more than a law license is at stake. We use the experience accumulated since our founding in 1970 to provide our attorney colleagues with the same thoughtful, compassionate, and vigorous defense we offer our other clients. Contact us at the Law Offices of Ray Taylor & Associates, P.C. Call (210) 807-9916 to arrange a free initial consultation and case analysis.
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