Attorney Jennifer M. Brown was suspended for two years after failing to perform services for clients and failing to comply with the State Bar of Arizona’s investigations.
Allegations against Brown were deemed admitted by effective default after she failed to answer the State Bar’s complaint. She did not appear at an aggravation/mitigation hearing that was held before the Presiding Disciplinary Judge of the Arizona Supreme Court and a hearing panel on Aug. 14, 2017.
In Count One, Brown was hired in June 2015 to represent her client in a family law matter. Beginning in July 2015, her client was unable to contact her after having sent several text messages to her cell phone and leaving voicemails on her office phone. Her client filed a Motion for Emergency Removal of Petitioner’s Counsel with the court on Aug. 4, 2016. Opposing party in the case attempted to communicate with Brown during the same period, but she failed to respond.
In Count Two, a client hired Brown to draft a post-nuptial agreement in preparation for his divorce from his wife. He paid her $1,400 for her services. She met with him and his spouse to discuss the issues to be memorialized in the agreement and to review and finalize the terms of the agreement. Brown failed to draft the agreement and stopped communicating with them. She also vacated her rented office space, did not leave forwarding information, stopped answering emails, and phone calls.
Brown failed to respond to the Bar’s investigation.
Jennifer M. Brown’s suspension was effective Nov. 7, 2017. She was ordered to pay $1,400 in restitution to one client and must pay for the costs and expenses associated with his disciplinary proceedings to the State Bar of Arizona.