Attorney of Yuma has been suspended from the practice of law for 60 days after failing to adequately represent his client.
The Presiding Disciplinary Judge of the Arizona Supreme Court accepted an agreement for discipline by consent between Billar and the State Bar of Arizona that resulted in the suspension.
Billar admitted that he failed to competently and diligently represent his client and perform the agreed legal services, and engaged in a pattern of neglect. Among other lapses, he failed to serve a disclosure statement and expert witness certifications, and failed to file a response to the opposing parties’ motion to compel compliance with applicable rules.
The court granted the motion and assessed monetary sanctions against him. Billar did not pay the sanctions, which resulted in the opposing parties filing a motion to dismiss and an order to show cause (OSC) for contempt for failure to pay the sanction. He failed to file a response and the court ordered him to file a written explanation for his failure to serve a disclosure statement and to respond to the motion to dismiss. Billar did not respond to the motion to dismiss or to the OSC.
The client retained new counsel, but Billar failed to provide the client’s file. The court ordered him to deliver the client’s file by a certain date, but he failed to do so in a timely manner. The court dismissed the suit and assessed more sanctions against him. He failed to appear at another hearing regarding the assessment of attorney fees so the court issued a civil arrest warrant and assessed more sanctions. Billar managed to get the warrant quashed, but the sanctions remain unpaid.
Robert C. Billar’s 60-day suspension is effective on Nov. 15, 2017. He was ordered to serve a two-year probation period upon reinstatement and must pay $1,200 for the costs and expenses incurred by the State Bar of Arizona.