Opinion
03-23-2017
In the Matter of Thomas Joseph TIERNEY, an Attorney. (Attorney Registration No. 2569846).
Thomas Joseph Tierney, Signal Hill, California, pro se. Monica A. Duffy, Attorney Grievance Committee for the Third Judicial Department, Albany, for Attorney Grievance Committee for the Third Judicial Department.
Thomas Joseph Tierney, Signal Hill, California, pro se.
Monica A. Duffy, Attorney Grievance Committee for the Third Judicial Department, Albany, for Attorney Grievance Committee for the Third Judicial Department.
Before: GARRY, J.P., LYNCH, ROSE, MULVEY and AARONS, JJ.
PER CURIAM.
Thomas Joseph Tierney was admitted to practice by this Court in 1993 and has previously listed a business address in Norwalk, Connecticut with the Office of Court Administration. By affidavit sworn to June 20, 2016, Tierney seeks leave to resign from the New York bar for nondisciplinary reasons (see Uniform Rules for Attorney Disciplinary Matters [22 NYCRR] § 1240.22 [a] ). The Attorney Grievance Committee for the Third Judicial Department (hereinafter AGC) opposes the application by correspondence from its Chief Attorney.
As is noted by AGC, Tierney is presently delinquent in his New York attorney registration requirements, having failed to register for the most recent applicable biennial period (see Judiciary Law § 468–a ; Rules of the Chief Admin of Cts [22 NYCRR] § 118.1 ). Inasmuch as Tierney is therefore subject to potential disciplinary action (see Judiciary Law § 468–a[5] ; Rules of Professional Conduct [22 NYCRR 1200.0 ] rule 8.4[d]; see also Matter of Attorneys in Violation of Judiciary Law § 468–a, 113 A.D.3d 1020, 1021 [2014]; Matter of Arms, 251 A.D.2d 743, 743–744, 674 N.Y.S.2d 156 [1998] ; Matter of Ryan, 238 A.D.2d 713, 713–714, 656 N.Y.S.2d 444 [1997] ; Matter of Farley, 205 A.D.2d 874, 874–875, 613 N.Y.S.2d 458 [1994] ), he is ineligible for nondisciplinary resignation and his application must be denied (see Matter of Cluff, 148 A.D.3d 1346, 47 N.Y.S.3d 919 [2017] ; Matter of Bomba, 146 A.D.3d 1226, 1226–1227, 46 N.Y.S.3d 433 [2017] ). Further, any future application by Tierney must be supported by proof of his full satisfaction of the requirements of Judiciary Law § 468–a and Rules of the Chief Administrator of the Courts (22 NYCRR) § 118.1 (see Matter of Frank, 146 A.D.3d 1228, 1228–1229, 46 N.Y.S.3d 434 [2017] ).
Although AGC states that Tierney has failed to register for the biennial period commencing in 2016, Office of Court Administration records reflect that he has actually failed to register for the period commencing in 2015.
--------
ORDERED that Thomas Joseph Tierney's application for permission to resign is denied.
GARRY, J.P., LYNCH, ROSE, MULVEY and AARONS, JJ., concur.