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Supreme Court suspends lawyer’s license
YOUNGSTOWN
The Ohio Supreme Court has indefinitely suspended the law license of Percy Squire, a Youngstown native, “for professional misconduct in his dealings with multiple clients.”
In a 4-3 decision Thursday, the court ruled that Squire, who lives in Columbus, “misappropriated and mishandled client funds, failed to keep funds held for clients separate from his personal funds, failed to maintain adequate records of client funds entrusted to him, and entered into business relationships with clients without notifying them of conflicts of interest inherent in those relationships.”
The court decision states Squire “converted proceeds from a $113,228.18 insurance payment he received on behalf of client Mark Lay in April 2008 to his own use without Lay’s knowledge or authorization.”
Lay is an investment adviser convicted of fraud related to the loss of $216 million as part of an investment scandal at the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation. Lay was sentenced in July 2008 to 12 years in federal prison for fraud related to the scandal. Squire was his attorney.
Squire said the court’s decision is “totally erroneous.” But he acknowledged his “conduct in regard to record keeping was below the standard within the rules of conduct.”
Squire insisted he didn’t engage in conduct “involving fraud, deceit or dishonesty,” and that his “right to due process of the law has been violated.”
Squire said he “will contest the erroneous findings immediately.”
The court wrote Squire “acted with a selfish or dishonest motive, engaged in a pattern of misconduct involving multiple clients and rule violations, failed to acknowledge the wrongfulness of his actions, and knowingly made false or misleading statements to disciplinary authorities.”
The three justices who opposed the indefinite suspension agreed with court’s Board of Commissioners on Grievances & Discipline’s recommendation for a two-year law license suspension with the second year stayed on certain conditions.
Squire, born and reared in Youngstown, was a 2001 mayoral candidate, but withdrew before the election. He owned radio stations in the Youngstown area.