Joshua Walthall is a former State Bar prosecutor, and currently is a partner at Boerema Blackton, LLP in Raleigh. You can contact him at 919-801-6208 or jwalthall@bobllaw.com, and visit his website at ncprofessionallicensing.com.

Help! The North Carolina State Bar Opened a Grievance Against Me. What Do I Do? 

First, you need to understand how grievances are started at the North Carolina State Bar. Almost anything can trigger the opening of a grievance at the North Carolina State Bar, but typically someone submits a complaint. And while a complaint usually comes from a client or former client, it can really come from anyone: an opposing party, a client’s spouse or relative, an opposing counsel, a judge, or even just someone with an unhealthy obsession with you. There is no “standing” requirement.   Read More

When Does a Demand Letter Cross the Line?

After obtaining a $20.7 million class-action verdict from Kimberly-Clark[i] and making over a hundred appearances on various television talk shows[ii], attorney Michael Avenatti’s once-rising star plummeted. While facing allegations of domestic violence and charges for tax evasion, wire fraud, and identity theft, Avenatti decided to leverage “the power of his platform” to extort Nike by demanding money in exchange for silence on the company’s allegedly illegal practices.[iii]  This scheme eventually landed Avenatti in jail for 30 months.    Read More