Board of Overseers of the Bar v. Kirk Y. Griffin

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Docket No.: BAR#15-4

Issued by: Maine Supreme Judicial Court

Date: July 2, 2015

Respondent: Kirk Y. Griffin

Bar Number: 009485

Order: Disbarment

Disposition/Conduct: Reciprocal Order of Disbarment

Reciprocal Order of Disbarment
M. Bar R. 26

This Court has received a certified copy of the February 25, 2015 Judgment of Disbarment and related Summary as issued by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court against Defendant Kirk Y. Griffin. That sanction was issued for his violations of Mass. R. Prof. C. 1.1, 1.3, 1.15(b)(c)(d)(e)(5), l.l5(f)(1) and 8.4(c)(d)(h). Specifically, those violations included Mr. Griffin's trust account improprieties, including on multiple occasions his drawing checks on his IOLTA account that were not supported by sufficient funds, as well as his failure to properly hold trust property separate from his own property in that IOLTA account.

In this reciprocal discipline action filed by the Maine Board of Overseers of the Bar, Mr. Griffin has filed no response to this Court's April 30, 2015 Order and Notice. Pursuant to then applicable M. Bar R. 7.3(h), that Order and Notice were served by the Board by certified mail upon Mr. Griffin on May 21, 2015. That Order provided Mr. Griffin an opportunity to timely show cause why the Court should not impose identical discipline to that imposed upon him in Massachusetts.

In addition, on January 13, 2014 an Order of Suspension of Reciprocal Discipline was issued against Mr. Griffin concerning misconduct similar to that described herein. He remains suspended from practice in Maine at the present time.

Upon consideration of the Board's Petition for Reciprocal Discipline and Mr. Griffin's lack of objection to an identical suspension in Maine, it is now hereby ORDERED as follows:

  1. The Board of Overseers of the Bar's Petition for Reciprocal Discipline is hereby granted in all respects;
  2. Effective immediately and pursuant to M. Bar R. 7.3(h)(3), Kirk Y. Griffin is now disbarred from the practice of law in Maine. That disbarment relates to Mr. Griffin's violations of those portions of Maine's Rules of Professional Conduct that are analogous to the violations found by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court;
  3. By analogy, those Maine Rule violations include M. R. Prof. Conduct l.1, 1.3, 1.15(b)(c)(d)(e)(5), 15(f)(l) and 8.4{c)(d); and
  4. Mr. Griffin's disbarment shall remain In effect until further Order of this Court.

DATED: July 2, 2015

Andrew M. Mead
Associate Justice
Maine Supreme Judicial Court