Ohio Supreme Court suspends Howland attorney

By ED RUNYAN

runyan@vindy.com

WARREN

The Ohio Supreme Court has suspended the law license of Atty. Kenneth N. Shaw of Howland for two years for three violations of the state’s rules for attorneys.

The second year could be waived if he meets certain conditions.

In an opinion released last week, the court’s Board of Commissioners on Grievances and Discipline said one of Shaw’s violations was naming his five children as beneficiaries of an elderly client’s trust, entitling them to $5,000 each in the event of Shaw’s client’s death.

Shaw admitted he had not advised the client, who was unrelated to him by blood or marriage, “of the inherent conflict of interest in naming his children as beneficiaries of a document he had prepared,” the court said.

“He also admitted that he had never suggested that she obtain advice from a disinterested person or have another attorney prepare the trust documents.”

Two of the three upheld complaints against Shaw involved legal work he did for the woman starting in September 1999.

Read the full story Monday in The Vindicator and on vindy.com.