Washington SC disbars attorney

OLYMPIA, Wash. (Legal Newsline)-A Seattle civil rights attorney was disbarred Thursday for intimidating his clients into accepting settlements and charging excessive fees.

The state Supreme Court in a 51-page opinion said attorney Bradley Marshall should not practice law in the Evergreen State.

The high court also ruled that he should pay $7,500 to each of two clients as restitution.

He was cited by the state bar in 2006 with a dozen violations of professional conduct.

"These violations include demands for additional fees to continue a lawsuit that was paid for on a flat-fee basis, filing a lawsuit and a lien against a client who refused to pay him additional fees, a deceptive attempt to compel settlement, failure to obtain consent for a conflict of client interest, and other deceptive practices," Justice James Johnson wrote for the court. "These facts are accompanied by multiple aggravating factors, including prior discipline for similar conduct."

Marshall has said he intends to appeal his disbarment to the U.S. Supreme Court. The Washington state bar suspended Marshall's law license in 2007 for 18 months pending the investigation.