A Harrisburg, Pennsylvania attorney was disbarred after self-reporting himself amid questions surrounding payments that were not reported and accusations of lying to clients.
According to The Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, the attorney was disbarred, effective August 17, 2025, following an investigation.
According to the Disciplinary Board, the attorney joined the law firm Eckert Seamans in January 2022 and continued to maintain a separate business, Cox Career Consulting, which was not registered with the Department of State. The Disciplinary Board says the attorney accepted more than $49,000 from clients without turning the money over to the law firm or depositing it into an "Interest on Lawyers' Trust Account." Some of the payments were made directly to him using online apps such as Venmo, Zelle, and Cash App.
Additionally, the Board says he failed to reimburse clients and repeatedly lied that his mother was sick and had passed away as reasons why the money was not returned. He is also alleged to have asked a client for money to purchase a plane ticket to visit his ailing mother, which the Board says was a lie.
In several instances, the Board says the defendant also reached out to local attorneys and a judge, asking them to lend him money because he had forgotten his credit card while on a work trip. The Board says those requests for money were fraudulent and that he was not on a work trip. Additionally, in 2022, he allegedly collected donations for a "memorial and resolution," and not all of the money was turned over for its intended purpose.
After being terminated from the law firm, the Board says the attorney formed his own legal practice, which was also not registered with the Department of State. Earnings from the legal practice were also allegedly not reported to the IRS or the Department of Revenue.
The Board says the attorney offered his resignation from practicing law in Pennsylvania after being placed on temporary suspension last year.
Speaking with the press, the attorney said he is saddened by the matter and made the decision to resign to focus on his health.
According to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Code, his resignation was part of a process called "disbarment on consent", in which the attorney voluntarily resigns and is then disbarred in lieu of the investigation and disciplinary process proceeding to a natural end. George Stockburger, "Harrisburg attorney disbarred for allegedly withholding client funds, lying to attorneys" www.abc27.com. (Jul. 18, 2025).
Commentary
Several ethical rules were violated by this attorney, including the American Bar Association's Model Rule of Professional Conduct 1.15 regarding the care of client funds. This rule requires that a lawyer shall hold property of clients or third persons that is in a lawyer's possession in connection with a representation separate from the lawyer's own property.
Lying to clients and fellow attorneys or failing to report income to tax authorities implicates MRPC Rules 1.2, 1.6, 3.3, 4.1, and 8.4.
Finally, borrowing money from clients, although not strictly prohibited, is seldom a good idea. MRPC Rule 1.8 sets out the conditions that must be met for an attorney to avoid violating the general prohibition of an attorney doing business with a client.
