The California State Bar is moving to put indicted attorney David Lira, formerly with Girardi Keese, on inactive status. This would restrict his ability to practice law as he defends against charges in an Illinois federal court, as stated by a bar prosecutor. This issue is related to the application of the
California Business & Professions Code Section 6007 (c) (2). According to this law, a bar court judge is permitted to order involuntary inactive enrollment of an attorney under certain circumstances.
Despite a stay in two separate ethics cases against Lira, the Office of Chief Trial Counsel attorney Eli Morgenstern has noted that the agency is proceeding with the motion.
This decision comes even though the bar did not ‘identify any substantial prejudice’ from delaying, according to a recent report from
Bloomberg Law. As a result, restrictions on Lira’s legal practice could be in effect sooner rather than later, pending the outcome of his case in federal court.