Attorney Grievance Commission v. Fraidin

¹⁷⁷ GREENE, J. The Attorney Grievance Commission of Maryland (“Petitioner” or “Bar Counsel”), acting pursuant to Maryland Rule 16-751(a), filed a “Petition For Disciplinary Or Remedial Action” against Michael David Fraidin (“Respondent” or “Fraidin”), on March 25, 2013. Petitioner charged Respondent with violating various Maryland Lawyers’ Rules of Professional Conduct (“MLRPC” or “Rule”), specifically Rule 1.15 (Safekeeping Property), 1 Rule 8.1 (Bar Admission and Disciplinary Matters), 2 and Rule 8.4(a), (b), (c) and (d) (Misconduct). 3 In addition, Petitioner charged Respondent with violating Maryland Rules 16-606.1 (Attorney Trust Account Record-Keeping), 4 16-607 (Commingling of Funds), 5 and 16- ¹⁷⁸ 609 (Prohibited Transactions). 6 The alleged violations stemmed primarily from two courses of conduct: (1) improper use and maintenance of Respondent’s attorney trust account, and (2) engaging and assisting Respondent’s wife in bankruptcy fraud. This Court referred the matter to the Honorable Christopher L. Panos of the Circuit Court for Baltimore City for a hearing to issue findings of fact and conclusions of law pursuant to Md. Rule 16-757. On July 30, 2013 and August 1, 2013, Judge Panos conducted a two day evidentiary hearing, during which Respondent represented himself and elected not to testify as a witness or present any witnesses to testify on his behalf.

Thereafter, the hearing judge issued Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law, in which he found, by clear and convincing evidence, that Respondent violated MLRPC 1.15, ¹⁷⁹ 8.1, 8.4(a), (b), (c) and (d), as well as Maryland Rules 16-606.1, 16-607, and 16-609. FACTS Respondent was admitted to the practice of law on December 15, 1992, and maintains a solo practice in Baltimore, Maryland. Respondent is married to Mara Fraidin (“Ms. Fraidin”), and they have two children. Since the Fraidins’ marriage in 1999, Ms. Fraidin has at no time worked outside the home or had an independent source of income.

Respondent has at all relevant times been the sole income provider for the Fraidins. In 2004, Respondent and Ms. Fraidin purchased a home, titled in their names as tenants by the entirety and encumbered by a deed of trust held by Bank of America, N.A. (“Bank of America”). Subsequently, in 2009, the Fraidins began to struggle financially, leading to legal proceedings surrounding: (1) an outstanding debt related to a credit card held in Ms. Fraidin’s name; (2) an outstanding debt related to a credit card held in Respondent’s name; (3) foreclosure related to the marital home; and (4) Ms. Fraidin’s filing for Chapter 13 bankruptcy relief.

Chase Bank Credit Card in Ms. Fraidin’s Name On February 5, 2010, Chase Bank USA, N.A. (“Chase Bank”) sued Ms. Fraidin in the District Court of Maryland sitting in Baltimore County to collect on approximately $9,000.00 of outstanding debt on a credit card held by Ms. Fraidin in her name alone. On April 26, 2010, Ms. Fraidin retained Respondent to represent her in the Chase Bank litigation and executed a document titled “Attorney Fee Agreement/Contract of Employment,” which stated that Respondent would represent Ms. Fraidin for a reduced hourly rate of $150.00. On April 28, 2010, Respondent entered his appearance as the attorney of record for Ms. Fraidin in the Chase Bank litigation.

On February 25, 2011, Respondent, on behalf of Ms. Fraidin, and Chase Bank negotiated a settlement for full satisfaction of Ms. Fraidin’s outstanding debt. The settlement terms ¹⁸⁰ required that Ms. Fraidin pay $4,150.00 through three separate installments: $1,400.00 by March 31, 2011; $1,400.00 by April 30, 2011; and $1,350.00 by May 31, 2011. Despite the terms of the “Attorney Fee Agreement/Contract of Employment,” Respondent never charged Ms. Fraidin for his representation of her in that matter. Nevertheless, Respondent made payments on behalf of Ms. Fraidin using funds from his Interest on Lawyer Trust Account (“IOLTA”).

As found by the hearing judge: Specifically, Respondent purchased, on March 31, 2011, three money orders [made out to the law firm representing Chase Bank in its action against Ms. Fraidin] from 7-Eleven totaling $1,400.00 On May 2, 2011, Respondent purchased a Bank of America cashier’s check in the amount of $1,400.00. On June 2, 2011, Respondent purchased a final Bank of America cashier’s check in the amount of $1,350.00 after executing a $1,350.00 “Cash Withdrawal” from his IOLTA account also on the same day. Funds in Respondent’s IOLTA account, held in trust for Ms. Fraidin, were insufficient to support the payments made by Respondent. In order to purchase the foregoing money orders and cashier’s checks, Respondent withdrew monies in his IOLTA account held on behalf of other clients.

Respondent maintained no client ledger detailing the deposits, disbursements, or other exchanges associated with the legal services provided to Ms. Fraidin relating to this matter. Bank of America Credit Card in Respondent’s Name In December 2010, Respondent settled a $25,000.00 outstanding credit card debt with Bank of America arising out of a credit card account held for personal use in his name alone. The settlement included a payment plan requiring an initial payment of $7,000.00 by March 28, 2011, followed by twelve consecutive monthly payments of $1,500.00. On March 28, 2011, Respondent made a “Cash Withdrawal” of $7,000.00 from his IOLTA account, which Respondent then used to purchase a Bank of America cashier’s check to make the initial ¹⁸¹ payment to Bank of America.

With regard to Respondent’s explanation of this action, the hearing judge found: Respondent asserted in his defense that he was representing Ms. Fraidin in the legal settlement with Bank of America and the money he withdrew and used from his IOLTA account was money held in trust on Ms. Fraidin’s behalf. Respondent thus contends that the money he withdrew from his IOLTA account was properly accountable and attributable to his legal representation of Ms. Fraidin. However, this defense is factually implausible in light of the fact that the Bank of America settlement stemmed from debt he incurred personally with a credit card issued in his name alone, which resulted in a legal settlement between him and Bank of America. As a result, this [clourt finds Respondent’s defense to be wholly without merit. [Moreover, t]he explanation Respondent made to Bar Counsel in a July 6, 2012 letter, [stating that the cash deposits “on 2/11/11 ($1,300), 2/14/11 ($1,000) and 3/28/11 ($5,000) were monies being held on behalf of Mara Fraidin with a disbursement on 3/28/11 ($7,000),”] and similar arguments made in filings and statements before this [c]ourt regarding his purported representation of Ms. Fraidin’s legal interests in the matter concerning the Bank of America credit card debt in his name alone, were knowingly and intentionally falsely made.

Liquidation of Respondent’s IRA/Retirement Assets On June 14, 2011, Respondent liquidated his personal IRA account in the amount of $15,000.00, and wire-transferred the $15,000.00 into his IOLTA account. The hearing judge found that “Respondent’s claim that this money ... was being held for the benefit of and in the course of his representation of Ms. Fraidin, to pay the debt owed on Respondent’s personal credit card, is implausible.” Rather, the $15,000.00 wire transfer from Respondent’s personal IRA constituted personal funds, which Respondent deposited into his IOLTA account. Foreclosure Action and Bankruptcy Proceedings On June 1, 2010, Bank of America initiated a foreclosure action against Respondent and Ms. Fraidin relating to their ¹⁸² marital home. A public auction of the home was scheduled for September 16, 2011.

On September 14, 2011, two days prior to the scheduled public auction, Ms. Fraidin filed a Chapter 13 Voluntary Petition for Bankruptcy, naming Bank of America, as mortgage holder of the marital residence, as sole creditor. On September 16, 2011, Ms. Ellen W. Crosby (“Ms. Crosby”) was appointed the Bankruptcy Trustee in relation to Ms. Fraidin’s Petition. At that time, Ms. Crosby sent Ms. Fraidin a letter providing information about the Chapter 13 Bankruptcy process and requested copies of paychecks to substantiate Ms. Fraidin’s asserted income. In response to this request, Ms. Fraidin produced copies of several checks each in the amount of $3,000.00 and drawn on Respondent’s IOLTA account, which purported to be paychecks from Ms. Fraidin’s employment with Respondent’s solo law practice.

With regard to Respondent’s participation in this process, the hearing judge found: In her bankruptcy proceedings, Ms. Fraidin asserted that she was self-represented. Additionally, Respondent denied having served as Ms. Fraidin’s attorney during the bankruptcy proceedings. In the course of Ms. Fraidin’s purported self-representation in the bankruptcy proceeding, Respondent “participated” in the collection of information, provided legal templates to Ms. Fraidin, and communicated with Christina M. Williamson, Esquire, counsel for Bank of America, toward the end of requesting a postponement for Ms. Fraidin, thus conveying to Ms. Williamson the perception that Respondent was acting as Ms. Fraidin’s “agent.” Additionally, Ms. Fraidin had, at best, a rudimentary understanding of the bankruptcy process as she did not comprehend the difference between the paychecks submitted in order to substantiate her source of income and checks sent to Ms. Crosby as the Trustee for the benefit of the creditors. Nor did Ms. Fraidin have any recollection as to where she purportedly obtained the form petition required to initiate the Chapter 13 Bankruptcy process.

Despite never having formally entered his appearance on behalf of Ms. ¹⁸³ Fraidin, Respondent indeed served as her attorney in that matter. On September 28, 2011, Ms. Fraidin filed with the United States Bankruptcy Court two documents relating to her financial interests and income: Schedule B — Personal Property, and Schedule I — Current Income of Individual Debtor(s). With regard to the filing of Schedule B, the hearing judge found: Included in the instructions on the Schedule B form is the directive, “Except as directed below, list all personal property of the debtor of whatever kind. If the debtor is married, state whether the husband, wife, both, or the marital community own the property by placing an ‘H,’ W,’ ‘J,’ or ‘C’ in the column labeled ‘Husband, Wife, Joint or Community.’ ” In response to request No. 12, requiring the identification of “interests in IRA, ERISA, Keogh, or other pension or profit sharing plans,” Ms. Fraidin selected “None.” At the time of Ms. Fraidin’s filing of Schedule B, Respondent maintained two retirement accounts with a combined total balance of approximately $40,000.00.

Ms. Fraidin’s Schedule B did not identify or disclose Respondent’s retirement accounts in her Schedule B — Personal Property forms as required. The instructions for Schedule B also provide, inter alia, “If the property is being held for the debtor by someone else, state that person’s name and address under ‘Description and Location of Property.’ ” Ms. Fraidin did not state or disclose that between September and December 2011, Respondent was — according to him— holding money in his law firm escrow account for her benefit. With regard to Schedule I — Current Income of Individual Debtor(s), Ms. Fraidin stated that she received $3,000.00 as “monthly gross wages, salary, and commissions.” She further stated that, as of September 2011, she had been employed by the Law Offices of Michael D. Fraidin for a period of two years and described her occupation as “marketing.” In addition to Schedule I, Ms. Fraidin filed a “Chapter 13 Statement of Current Monthly Income and Calculation of Commitment ¹⁸⁴ Period and Disposable Income” in which she stated that she received from “wages, salary, tips, bonuses, overtime, commissions” in the amount of $3,000.00 per month. When asked to identify “amounts paid by another person or entity, on a regular basis, for the household expenses of the debtor or the debtor’s dependents, including child support paid for that purpose” or “income from all other sources,” Ms. Fraidin entered “$0.00.” Ms. Fraidin also filed a Statement of Financial Affairs, stating that she received income from employment by Respondent’s law office in the amount of $24,000.00 for 2010 and $22,000.00 for 2011.

When asked to identify “income other than from employment or operation of business,” Ms. Fraidin selected “None.” Despite these averments, the hearing judge found: Ms. Fraidin has never filed an Internal Revenue Service Form W-2 or Form 1099 in connection with her asserted employment with the Law Offices of Michael D. Fraidin, nor did she believe her income was contingent upon actually doing any work. Because Ms. Fraidin neither anticipated having to perform any duties in exchange for wages nor were any W-2 or 1099 forms ever filed on her behalf, this [cjourt finds that Ms. Fraidin was never an employee of the Law Offices of Michael D. Fraidin, and did not receive any income from such employment as claimed. Despite the fact that all of the foregoing documents were signed by Ms. Fraidin under penalty of perjury after having certified that the information contained therein was true and correct, this [cjourt finds that the representations contained in Ms. Fraidin’s bankruptcy documents, filed under oath, (that she worked for Respondent’s law office in 2010 and 2011, and that she received a monthly income of $3,000.00) were knowingly and intentionally false. The hearing judge concluded that Ms. Fraidin filed the Chapter 13 Petition for the purpose of staving off the foreclosure action and public auction.

The bankruptcy filing did in fact stay the foreclosure action and ultimately resulted in dismissal of that action without prejudice. ¹⁸⁵ Bar Counsel Investigation Ms. Crosby, the Bankruptcy Trustee, alerted the Attorney Grievance Commission of Maryland that she had received from Ms. Fraidin copies of eight checks, four of which were purported to be paychecks substantiating her alleged income, all of which were drawn on Respondent’s IOLTA account. Upon written request from Bar Counsel, Respondent explained that Ms. Fraidin was “working for him,” and that the checks were compensation for the “marketing services” Ms. Fraidin provided for his law office. With regard to this explanation, the hearing judge found that “Respondent’s statements to Bar Counsel, representing that he provided the four (4) checks to his wife in her capacity as an employee of his law office and in exchange for the marketing services she provided to his law office [were] intentional and knowing misrepresentations of facts.” Judge Panos further found: By letter dated February 1, 2012, Bar Counsel requested a copy of Respondent’s client ledgers from August 2011 through February 2012 and copies of Respondent’s IOLTA account records. Despite receiving from Bar Counsel an extension of time to compile the requested files, Respondent failed to produce a complete copy of the documents requested.

Respondent’s letter to Bar Counsel, dated February 27, 2012, and accompanying documents, were inadequate, and failed to fully comply with Bar Counsel’s request. Bar Counsel requested complete copies of all bank records for August 2011 through February 2012, including all monthly statements, all deposited and disbursed items (front and back), and all debit and credit memos. Instead, Respondent incompletely produced copies of self-selected deposits, disbursements, and the first page of his bank statements for September 2011 and October 2011 only. Also in his response dated February 27, 2012, Respondent failed to produce a complete client ledger for the requested time period and instead only produced ledgers for two self-selected completed clients (one for R. Branton and another for Wilson Point Steel).

When Bar Counsel requested, for a second time, Respondent’s trust account records and client ¹⁸⁶ ledgers, Respondent stated, “I forwarded the documents that I had available on February 27, 2012.” Respondent was intentionally evasive and uncooperative with Bar Counsel. As a result of Respondent’s consistent failure to produce complete bank records and client ledgers, demonstrating Respondent’s “lack of cooperation with Bar Counsel’s requests,” Bar Counsel subpoenaed the missing records directly from the institution. At the evidentiary hearing, Petitioner called Mr. John DeBone, the now retired investigator for Petitioner, as a witness, who explained that he reviewed Respondent’s trust accounts based on both the subpoenaed bank records and information provided by Respondent, including his client ledgers, invoices, and assertions regarding certain cash deposits and withdrawals. Mr. DeBone’s review of the records “established] that Respondent failed to delineate client funds and that Respondent repeatedly used his IOLTA account for his and Ms. Fraidin’s personal use.” Mitigation Although Respondent maintained in his defense throughout the hearing that his conduct caused no harm to any clients or to the public, and therefore he should not be sanctioned, the hearing judge found “no evidence of mitigation” on the part of Respondent in relation to the alleged violations.

Judge Panos entered detailed conclusions of law, concluding that Respondent violated Md. Rules 16-606.1, 16-607, and 16-609; and MLRPC 1.15, 8.1, 8.4(a), (b), (c), and (d), as follows: Conclusions of Law A. Maryland Rule 16-606.1: Attorney Trust Record-Keeping $ «I* This [c]ourt finds by clear and convincing evidence, and concludes as a matter of law, that Respondent violated Maryland Rule 16-606.1. First, Respondent did not maintain records that comply with this [R]ule. Specifically, no proper ¹⁸⁷ records were kept for [Respondent’s two] trust accounts. Subsection (a)(2)(A)-(C) of [Md. Rule 16 -606.1] requires that for each attorney trust account, a chronological record must be kept detailing transactions made from or to such account.

By letters dated February 1, 2012, February 10, 2012, and March 1, 2012, Bar Counsel requested copies of Respondent’s client ledger for the period of time between August 2011 and February 2012. However, rather than produce a client ledger meeting the requirements of this [R]ule, Respondent produced documentation that, quite simply, falls far short. Respondent did not produce client ledgers identifying each client or third person for whom he was holding money in trust. The documents actually produced by Respondent are insufficient, as they fail to provide most of the required information, making them “client ledgers” only in name and not in substance.

To say that Respondent did not keep any records would be a misstatement of fact. However, Maryland Rule 16-606.1 ensures that clients are afforded comprehensive protection through their attorneys’ complete and accurate record keeping. Given a lawyer’s fiduciary duty owed to his or her client, this [e]ourt finds by clear and convincing evidence that the scattered, incomplete records kept by Respondent failed to comply with the rigorous standards required by Maryland Rule 16-606.1. Thus, this [c]ourt concludes as a matter of law that Respondent violated this [R]ule.

B. Maryland Rule 16-607: Commingling of Funds * * * * By his own admission, Respondent violated this [R]ule by depositing $22,000.00 of his personal funds into his IOLTA account. Additionally, documentary and testimonial evidence provided by Petitioner establishes that Respondent violated this [R]ule. Specifically, the trust account records and Mr. DeBone’s review thereof reveal that between December 31, 2010 and March 29, 2012, Respondent commin ¹⁸⁸ gled his personal funds with funds belonging to or for the benefit of his clients, and further, that Respondent used all such funds indiscriminately for his personal use. This [cjourt adamantly rejects Respondent’s argument that his deposit of personal funds — specifically the $15,000.00 liquidated from his personal IRA account — into his IOLTA account was for the benefit of Ms. Fraidin, his client.

As to the $7,000.00 deposit, this [cjourt finds that it also represented a commingling of personal and client funds as, by her own admission, Ms. Fraidin had no independent source of income from which those funds could be derived. Realistically, all deposits made on behalf of or for the benefit of Ms. Fraidin as a client actually represented an impermissible commingling of personal and client funds, in direct violation of Maryland Rule 16-607. Further, this [cjourt finds that Respondent’s course of conduct lasted for nearly the entire period examined and investigated by Bar Counsel — from January 24, 2011 through March 1, 2012. C. Maryland Rule 16-609: Prohibited Transactions $ $ $ $ This [cjourt finds that Respondent, during the period of the account analysis by Bar Counsel (December 31, 2010 through March 29, 2012), withdrew cash from his trust account in violation of Maryland Rule 16-609(b) on at least twenty-one (21) separate occasions, as evidenced by the Bank of America trust account records.

Each individual transaction represents a separate and distinct violation of this Rule. Respondent argues that these transactions were approved by Bank of America, and thus cannot constitute violative transactions. Unfortunately for Respondent, however, banking institutions do not police the legal profession, and rules of each institution are not designed to ensure that each of its commercial clients adhere to the rules of their own profession. Respondent had a duty to know, and is charged with knowing, that it is unlawful for an attorney to ¹⁸⁹ make cash withdrawals from client trust accounts.

Respondent’s continuous course of conduct by withdrawing cash from client trust accounts on at least twenty-one (21) occasions in only fifteen (15) months constitutes a blatant violation of Maryland Rule 16-609. D. [MLRPC] Rule 1.15: Safekeeping Property As a practical matter, because Rule 1.15 requires that lawyers follow the Rules set forth in Title 16, Chapter 600 of the Maryland Rules, it is the belief of this [c]ourt that any violation of Title 16, Chapter 600 would serve as a per se violation of this Rule. As stated above, this [c]ourt has found that Respondent violated Maryland Rules 16-606.1, 16-607, and 16-609. Therefore, Respondent has violated sections (a) and (b) of this Rule.

Additionally, this [c]ourt finds by clear and convincing evidence that Respondent violated Rule 1.15 by failing to take the necessary precautions to safeguard client funds. Specifically, Respondent failed to safeguard funds belonging to and associated with the clients identified on Mr. DeBone’s client ledger, namely: “S. Calhoun;” “H. Calhoun;” “G. Kopp;” “J. Townes;” and, “Unknown.” The disbursements associated with the four named clients and the one “Unknown” do not have corresponding deposits during the period of the account analysis (December 31, 2010 through March 29, 2012). Therefore, any corresponding deposit would necessarily have been made prior to December 31, 2010. The disbursements, when combined, exceed the beginning balance of the account on December 31, 2010 and reveal that Respondent was out of trust in the amount of $1,925.28.

Even assuming without deciding that such disbursements were made for the benefit of the four clients and “Unknown,” as opposed to being used for personal reasons, the disbursements used $1,925.28 in funds belonging to another unidentified client. Therefore, this [c]ourt ¹⁹⁰ concludes as a matter of law that Respondent violated Rule 1.15 by failing to keep the property of his clients safe. E. [MLRPC] Rule 8.1: Bar Admission and Disciplinary Matters Respondent did not testify under oath during the disciplinary hearing. Throughout the course of this matter, however, Respondent’s arguments, excuses, and explanations are best characterized as having been cyclical, off-point, tangential, inconsistent, and at times intentionally misleading.

By letter dated May 31, 2012, Bar Counsel requested the following from Respondent: “Provide the name of the client whose $15,000.00 was wired into the account on June 14, 2011. Provide the source of the funds and an account of any associated disbursements.” By letter dated July 6, 2012, Respondent stated: “As far as the $15,000.00 wire transfer, these monies were for the benefit of Mara Fraidin, who instructed me to hold the monies on her behalf.” This [c]ourt finds that Respondent’s statement to Bar Counsel constituted knowing and intentional misrepresentations of fact which were intended to mislead Bar Counsel. It was not until July 1, 2013 — almost an entire year later — that Respondent identified the actual source of this $15,000.00 wire transfer as being a cash deposit of his liquidated personal IRA. As further evidence of the false nature of Respondent’s assertion that the $15,000.00 deposit was for Ms. Fraidin’s benefit, Ms. Fraidin herself testified during her deposition that she never asked Respondent to liquidate any portion of his IRA or transfer $15,000.00 for her benefit.

Additionally, Ms. Fraidin never declared such a gift within the filing of her documents associated with the bankruptcy petition. Therefore, this [cjourt concludes as a matter of law that Respondent made knowing and intentional misrepresentations of fact to Bar Counsel when he stated that funds were deposited and held for the benefit of his wife. ¹⁹¹ This [c]ourt further concludes that Respondent violated Rule 8.1(b) by failing to timely provide information and documentation requested by Bar Counsel’s letters of February 1, 2012 and May 31, 2012. Because Respondent failed to provide requested bank records associated with Bank of America, Bar Counsel was forced to subpoena them directly from the institution. Additionally, Respondent failed to provide the following information in response to Bar Counsel’s follow-up letter of May 31, 2012: (1) a complete explanation of the wire transfer on September 16, 2011 to BMW Financial SVS; (2) an explanation for why funds on behalf of P. Beck were not disbursed until November 14, 2011; (3) an explanation for the deposit of $8.00 payable to Ms. Fraidin on May 13, 2011 ...; an explanation of the two deposits from Barbara Heller-Walsh on August 11, 2011; (4) a complete explanation for the deposit of $6,164.08 from Ellen Cosby; (5) a complete accounting for each “cash withdrawal” including the name of the client whose funds were disbursed and all associated documentation; and, (6) a complete explanation of the counter debit of $3,117.41 on August 10, 2012 and equal deposit on August 11, 2012.

This [c]ourt notes that Respondent remarked upon the burdensome nature of Bar Counsel’s investigation. Notwithstanding Respondent’s “burden,” this [c]ourt finds by clear and convincing evidence that he violated Rule 8.1(a) by knowingly and intentionally making false statements to Bar Counsel, and violated Rule 8.1(b) by intentionally misleading and failing to timely provide information to Bar Counsel. F. [MLRPC] Rule 8.4(a)-(d): Misconduct This [cjourt finds by clear and convincing evidence that Respondent aided, abetted and assisted Ms. Fraidin in violating 18 U.S.C. § 152 (2) and (3) by helping in the ¹⁹² preparation and filing of forms and schedules which contained misrepresentations signed by Ms. Fraidin under penalty of perjury, in the United States Bankruptcy Court. As such, Respondent’s conduct in this regard clearly substantiates a conclusion that Respondent violated, assisted, aided and abetted his wife in violating 18 U.S.C. § 157 .

Subsequent to filing her Chapter 13 bankruptcy petition to stave off foreclosure, Ms. Fraidin submitted a Schedule Summary to the United States Bankruptcy Court, which this [cjourt finds to have contained blatantly incorrect and misleading information. Respondent has maintained throughout the course of the instant proceeding that he was not the bankruptcy attorney of record. However, Respondent’s actions do not at all reflect his unyielding denial of involvement in and engagement as Ms. Fraidin’s attorney in her bankruptcy proceeding. Quite the contrary, Respondent’s actions suggest nothing else — and support no other conclusion — but that he acted as Ms. Fraidin’s attorney (albeit not “of record”) because, during the course of Ms. Fraidin’s Chapter 13 Bankruptcy proceeding, Respondent by his own actions promulgated the perception that he was Ms. Fraidin’s “agent,” as he interacted with an attorney representing the bankruptcy creditor, Bank of America, and requested a continuance of the bankruptcy hearing.

As such, this [cjourt finds by clear and convincing evidence that a reasonable person in Ms. Fraidin’s position would believe that Respondent was acting on her behalf to advance and protect her legal interest as her attorney throughout the bankruptcy proceedings. Additionally, during the course of Ms. Fraidin’s bankruptcy case, Respondent admitted that he, as a husband, gave his wife emotional support and “whatever help he thought might be useful to his wife in the preparation and filing of her Chapter 13 forms.” This [cjourt finds most of these forms to be necessary for the resolution of the bankruptcy action. Furthermore, Respondent admitted during the depositions of him and Ms. Fraidin, that he provided his wife with “[ajny information that [she] needed” related to the ¹⁹³ bankruptcy filings. Respondent further acknowledged and admitted the advisory role he performed in Ms. Fraidin’s bankruptcy petition, stating that “[i]f she would have asked me a question, I would have given her an answer.” Respondent, not Ms. Fraidin, maintained all the books and financial records associated with his law office, and those related to the Fraidin household.

Therefore, the information required to complete Ms. Fraidin’s Chapter 13 Bankruptcy filings was provided by Respondent, either directly or by way of information supplied to his wife, and was knowingly and intentionally inaccurate. Thus, this [cjourt concludes as a matter of law that Respondent’s actions would constitute a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 152 (2) and (3), and as a result, a violation of [MLRPC] 8.4(b). Regarding Petitioner’s allegation that Respondent violated 18 U.S.C. § 157 , this [cjourt finds by clear and convincing evidence that Respondent and Ms. Fraidin concocted a scheme to defraud the United States Bankruptcy Court and executed it, all toward the ends of preventing the foreclosure of their home and qualifying Ms. Fraidin for a lesser Chapter 13 payment plan. This [cjourt finds that the information contained in Ms. Fraidin’s Chapter 13 Bankruptcy form was the beginning of bankruptcy fraud as alleged.

On September 28, 2011, Ms. Fraidin filed a Schedule I — Current Income of Individual Debtor(s), wherein she stated that she received $3,000.00 as “monthly gross wages, salary, and commission.” Ms. Fraidin also stated that, as of September 2011, she had been employed by the Law Offices of Michael D. Fraidin for a period of two (2) years and described her occupation as “marketing.” Despite Ms. Fraidin’s assertion on a federal document that she was employed by Respondent, she failed to file a W-2 or 1099 reflecting that “employment.” Further, Ms. Fraidin admitted during her deposition in this matter that the payments of $3,000.00 per month were not contingent upon her performing any work for Respondent in his law office. Ms. Cosby, Ms. Fraidin’s trustee, requested “paychecks” in order to verify monthly income and substantiate Ms. Fraidin’s ¹⁹⁴ claim that she was, in fact, employed and received monthly income in the amount of $3,000.00. In response, Ms. Fraidin supplied checks written from Respondent’s IOLTA account [only some of which were cashed]. As a result of Ms. Fraidin’s ability to provide proof of income and employment, she was permitted to proceed under a Chapter 13 reorganization plan, as opposed to a plan under Chapter 7.

Thus, this [c]ourt concludes that Respondent and Ms. Fraidin, by their scheme as executed, committed a fraud upon the Bankruptcy Court of the United States, and that Respondent’s role in the scheme constitutes a direct violation of 8.4(b) and (c). During Respondent’s deposition, Petitioner inquired as to why Respondent continued to write checks to his wife from his IOLTA account despite the realization there was a problem with his actions. Respondent admitted that he first realized that there was a problem with drawing checks on his IOLTA account on October 7, 2011. Despite this awareness, Respondent nevertheless continued to draw checks on his IOLTA account to pay his wife.

After drawing a check on his IOLTA account on October 26, 2011, Respondent provided Ms. Fraidin with a check so that she could forward it to her bankruptcy trustee. During his deposition, Respondent admitted “he gave his wife cash and never put the checks into the bank account.” When further questioned about how his wife obtained copies of the checks forwarded to Ms. Crosby, Respondent became evasive, failing to answer Petitioner’s straightforward questions with an affirmative “yes” or “no,” instead alternatively responding, “I don’t know.” For these reasons, the [c]ourt finds by clear and convincing evidence that Respondent’s actions, when viewed conjunctively, further establish that Respondent and Ms. Fraidin knowingly and intentionally falsified United States Bankruptcy documentation and that Respondent intentionally fabricated paychecks for Ms. Fraidin as drawn on his IOLTA account for the sole purpose of submitting the same to the bankruptcy trustee in order to substantiate the misrepresentation that Ms. Fraidin was gainfully employed ¹⁹⁵ by Respondent’s solo law practice. This [c]ourt additionally finds by clear and convincing evidence that Ms. Fraidin’s purported income (stemming as it did from non-existent employment) was falsified for the purpose of staving off the foreclosure of the Fraidin family home by filing a petition for a Chapter 13 reorganization plan. Respondent’s ongoing scheme, laden with repeated instances of dishonesty and misrepresentation, while having achieved its desired end, constitutes a fraud committed upon the United States Bankruptcy Court, and as such, represents a clear violation of the Maryland Lawyer’s Rules of Professional Conduct.

Respondent’s violations of [MLRPC] 8.1(a) and 8.4(b) as noted above, necessarily constitute a violation of 8.4(c) inasmuch as his conduct involved dishonesty, fraud, and misrepresentation. Further, Respondent’s conduct, when taken as a whole, violates [MLRPC] 8.4(d) inasmuch as his dishonest and fraudulent behavior unquestionably besmirches and brings shame upon the legal profession, and places lawyers in disrepute. Thus, in sum, this [c]ourt concludes that Respondent, Michael Fraidin, has violated [Rules 16-606.1, 16-607, and 16-609]. Additionally, Respondent violated [MLRPC 1.15, 8.1, and 8.4(a), (b), (c), and (d)].

(Citations and footnotes omitted). DISCUSSION In attorney discipline proceedings, this Court has original and complete jurisdiction and conducts an independent review of the record. Attorney Grievance Comm’n v. Jarosinski, 411 Md. 432, 448 , 983 A.2d 477, 487 (2009). In our review of the record, the hearing judge’s findings of fact will not be disturbed unless clearly erroneous.

Rule 16 — 759(b)(2); Attorney Grievance Comm’n v. Guida, 391 Md. 33, 50 , 891 A.2d 1085, 1095 (2006). “The Court gives deference to the hearing judge’s assessment of the credibility of the witnesses.” Attorney Grievance Comm’n v. Thomas, 409 Md. 121, 147 , 973 A.2d 185, 201 (2009) (citing Attorney Grievance Comm’n v. Ugwuonye, 405 Md. 351, 368 , 952 A.2d 226, 236 (2008)). We ¹⁹⁶ review the hearing judge’s conclusions of law de novo. Rule 16-759(b)(l). Petitioner takes no exceptions to the hearing judge’s findings of fact and conclusions of law.

Although Respondent initially filed extensive written exceptions to the hearing judge’s findings of fact and conclusions of law, at oral argument before this Court, counsel for Respondent withdrew many of the written exceptions and limited Respondent’s exceptions to those addressed in our discussion below. Respondent’s Attorney Trust Account