ARDC advises disbarring attorney who tapped client funds

By Emma Oxnevad eoxnevad@lawbulletinmedia.com

Posted May 10, 2023 10:57 AM

Updated May 11, 2023 2:59 PM

An attorney who misused $341,000 of client money and treated one trust account as a “personal slush fund” should be disbarred, according to the Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission hearing board.Leonard S. DeFranco of the DeFranco Law Firm was charged with failing to safeguard funds belonging to a client or third person that he was holding in connection with a representation and dishonestly using $161,000 belonging to a client or third person without authorization.The administrator also …

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