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In re Gleason

DISCIPLINARY REVIEW BOARD OF THE SUPREME COURT OF NEW JERSEY
Feb 3, 2015
Docket No. DRB 14-139 (N.J. Feb. 3, 2015)

Opinion

Docket No. DRB 14-139

02-03-2015

Re: In the Matter of Martin A. Gleason

ELLEN A. BRODSKY CHIEF COUNSEL ISABEL FRANK DEPUTY CHIEF COUNSEL MELISSA URBAN FIRST ASSISTANT COUNSEL TIMOTHY M. ELLIS LILLIAN LEWIN BARRY R. PETERSEN JR. COLIN T. TAMS KATHRYN ANNE WINTERLE ASSISTANT COUNSEL


BONNIE C. FROST, ESQ., CHAIR
EDNA Y. BAUGH, ESQ., VICE-CHAIR
BRUCE W. CLARK, ESQ.
HON. MAURICE J. GALLIPOLI
THOMAS J. HOBERMAN
EILEEN RIVERA
ANNE C. SINGER, ESQ.
ROBERT C. ZMIRICH ELLEN A. BRODSKY
CHIEF COUNSEL ISABEL FRANK
DEPUTY CHIEF COUNSEL MELISSA URBAN
FIRST ASSISTANT COUNSEL TIMOTHY M. ELLIS
LILLIAN LEWIN
BARRY R. PETERSEN JR.
COLIN T. TAMS
KATHRYN ANNE WINTERLE
ASSISTANT COUNSEL RICHARD J. HUGHES JUSTICE COMPLEX VIA CERTIFIED MAIL , R.R.R. & REGULAR MAIL
Martin A. Gleason, Esq.
114 East Union Avenue
Bound Brook, New Jersey 08805 District Docket No. XIII-2013-0002E
LETTER OF ADMONITION Dear Mr. Gleason:

The Disciplinary Review Board has reviewed your conduct in the above-captioned matter and has concluded that it was improper. Following a review of the record, and with the approval of the Supreme Court, the Board determined to impose an admonition.

Specifically, in your reply to the grievance filed in this matter by your former client, Daniel Stein, you admitted that, on two separate dates in 2008 and 2010, you failed to inform Mr. Stein that his land use application had been deemed deficient and dismissed by the Bound Brook Planning Board. Mr. Stein did not learn about these dismissals until he retained new counsel to pursue this application on his behalf. Your conduct was unethical and a violation of RPC 1.4(b).

Additionally, you failed to cooperate with the District XIII Ethics Committee (DEC). You did not file an answer to the complaint and ignored the DEC investigator's multiple attempts to obtain a copy of Mr. Stein's file. Your conduct was unethical and a violation of RPC 8.1(b).

In imposing only an admonition, the Board considered, in mitigation, your acceptance of full responsibility for the dismissal of your client's applications, the fact that you refunded your entire legal fee to Mr. Stein, and that you erroneously believed that your reply to the grievance and a subsequent letter to the DEC secretary admitting the allegations of the complaint satisfied your obligation to file a formal answer.

Your conduct has adversely reflected not only upon you as an attorney but also upon all members of the bar. Accordingly, the Board has directed the issuance of this admonition to you. R. 1:20-15(f)(4).

A permanent record of this occurrence has been filed with the Clerk of the Supreme Court and the Board's office. Should you become the subject of any further discipline, it will be taken into consideration.

The Board has also directed that the costs of the disciplinary proceedings be assessed against you. R. 1:20-17. An invoice of costs will be forwarded under separate cover.

Very truly yours,

/s/

Ellen A. Brodsky

Chief Counsel c: Chief Justice Stuart Rabner

Associate Justices

Bonnie Frost, Chair (via email)

Disciplinary Review Board

Mark Neary, Clerk

Supreme Court of New Jersey

Gail G. Haney, Deputy Clerk

Supreme Court of New Jersey (w/ethics history)

Charles Centinaro, Director (via email)

Office of Attorney Ethics

Amy Z. Shimalla, Chair

District XIII Ethics Committee

Donna P. Legband, Secretary

District XIII Ethics Committee

Daniel Stein, Grievant


Summaries of

In re Gleason

DISCIPLINARY REVIEW BOARD OF THE SUPREME COURT OF NEW JERSEY
Feb 3, 2015
Docket No. DRB 14-139 (N.J. Feb. 3, 2015)
Case details for

In re Gleason

Case Details

Full title:Re: In the Matter of Martin A. Gleason

Court:DISCIPLINARY REVIEW BOARD OF THE SUPREME COURT OF NEW JERSEY

Date published: Feb 3, 2015

Citations

Docket No. DRB 14-139 (N.J. Feb. 3, 2015)

Citing Cases

In re Wright

See, e.g., In the Matter of Martin A. Gleason, DRB 14-139 (February 3, 2015) (attorney did not file an answer…

In re Smith

See, e.g., In the Matter of Martin A. Gleason, DRB 14-139 (February 3, 2015) (attorney did not file an answer…