Opinion
S16Y1755
10-03-2016
In the Matter of Lyle Vincent Anderson.
Jonathan Winslow Hewett, Assistant General Counsel, Paula J. Frederick, General Counsel, State Bar of Georgia, 104 Marietta Street, N.W., Suite 100, Atlanta, Georgia 30303, for Appellant. Lyle Vincent Anderson, 1119 Trammell Street, Dalton, Georgia 30720, for Appellee. Bryan M. Cavan, Miller & Martin PLLC, 1170 Peachtree Street, N.E., Suite 800, Atlanta, Georgia 30309–7706, Paul T. Carroll, III, 111 Bridgepoint Plaza, Suite 110, Rome, Georgia 30161, Anthony B. Askew, Chair, Review Panel, 999 Peachtree Street, Suite 1300, Atlanta, Georgia 30309, for Other Party.
Jonathan Winslow Hewett, Assistant General Counsel, Paula J. Frederick, General Counsel, State Bar of Georgia, 104 Marietta Street, N.W., Suite 100, Atlanta, Georgia 30303, for Appellant.
Lyle Vincent Anderson, 1119 Trammell Street, Dalton, Georgia 30720, for Appellee.
Bryan M. Cavan, Miller & Martin PLLC, 1170 Peachtree Street, N.E., Suite 800, Atlanta, Georgia 30309–7706, Paul T. Carroll, III, 111 Bridgepoint Plaza, Suite 110, Rome, Georgia 30161, Anthony B. Askew, Chair, Review Panel, 999 Peachtree Street, Suite 1300, Atlanta, Georgia 30309, for Other Party.
Per Curiam.Attorney Lyle Vincent Anderson (Bar No. 017722) was convicted of forgery in the first degree, see OCGA § 16–9–1 (b), for having falsified a written agreement for the payment of legal fees, and the Court of Appeals affirmed his conviction. See Anderson v. State, 335 Ga.App. 78, 778 S.E.2d 826 (2015). Anderson then offered the voluntary surrender of his license to practice law, admitting that his conviction amounts to a violation of Rule 8.4 (a) (2) of the Georgia Rules of Professional Conduct. The special master recommends that we accept that offer, as does the State Bar of Georgia. We agree that a voluntary surrender, which is tantamount to disbarment, is appropriate in these circumstances. See In the Matter of Skandalakis, 279 Ga. 865, 621 S.E.2d 750 (2005) (disbarment for making false statement to FBI agent); In the Matter of Swindall, 266 Ga. 553, 468 S.E.2d 372 (1996) (disbarment for perjury in grand jury testimony); In the Matter of Staples, 262 Ga. 184, 417 S.E.2d 152 (1992) (disbarment for false statements in immigration application); In the Matter of Holland, 254 Ga. 365, 331 S.E.2d 881 (1985) (disbarment for false swearing). Accordingly, we accept the voluntary surrender of Anderson's license to practice law, and it is hereby ordered that the name of Lyle Vincent Anderson be removed from the rolls of persons authorized to practice law in the State of Georgia. Anderson is reminded of his duties pursuant to Bar Rule 4–219 (c).
This Court suspended Anderson from the practice of law pending the exhaustion of his appeals from the conviction. See In the Matter of Anderson, 296 Ga. 633, 769 S.E.2d 393 (2015).
We appointed Paul T. Carroll as special master in this case.
Voluntary surrender of license accepted.
All the Justices concur.