By Megan Sayles
AFRO Staff Writer
msayles@afro.com
A Maryland woman is calling for an investigation into a local bankruptcy lawyer who she says took her money, missed key court deadlines and left her to face the consequences. Back in 2016, Iris McClain hired Edward Christman Jr. to help her challenge what she believed were inflated mortgage charges from Wells Fargo and to guide her through the bankruptcy process.
McClain alleges that she paid Christman $2,000 to file a critical objection on her behalf, but he never followed through. Instead, she says he later dismissed the objection as “frivolous,” without ever reviewing or requesting the documentation she had gathered to support her claim.
“He was taking my money, but then he became very difficult to reach, missed filing deadlines and all kinds of things went wrong,” said McClain. “I expressed to the court that there were things he was doing behind my back that I did not authorize and, ultimately, we parted ways. But, when I asked him for an accounting of my records, he didn’t give me an account of how he spent the $2,000, and he didn’t give me any portion of that back.”
McClain contends that Christman’s inaction caused her bankruptcy case to be dismissed in 2017. Although she contacted the attorney to request a refund—since he never filed the objection—he never responded.
“His court papers said that he found it frivolous, but there is no documentation anywhere to show that he ever examined my paperwork or asked me anything to substantiate that,” said McClain.
McClain ultimately had to file for bankruptcy three more times before securing a loan modification that allowed her to keep her home.
In searching for help to recover her money, McClain discovered Maryland’s Attorney Grievance Commission, which oversees the conduct of the state’s lawyers and investigates complaints against them. But, McClain asserted that its investigation process was a facade, designed more to protect attorneys than hold them accountable.
McClain filed three complaints against Christman, but nothing ever came of them. Her complaints were also handled by Bar Counsel staff, not by the actual members of the commission themselves— which is standard under the commission’s process.
At the time of McClain’s complaints, Lydia Lawless served as Maryland Bar Counsel. In 2023, Lawless resigned from the post following questions about ethics and scrutiny over a potential conflict of interest raised against her by Maryland Supreme Court Justice Shirley Watts.
“I thought I was talking to an objective organization that was going to look into my complaint. Even though I said he took my money and didn’t give me any of it back, they did not make him account for any of the money,” said McClain.
She went on to sue Christman and his law firm for fraud, legal malpractice, negligent infliction and punitive damages, but the suit was dismissed. However, in 2021, Christman received a reprimand from the Attorney Grievance Commission. Though it was not tied to McClain’s specific complaints, it did reveal that the attorney had failed to properly manage client funds, keep accurate records and uphold standards of the justice system.
When asked about McClain’s allegations, the attorney pointed to the outcomes of the commission and court as his response.
“Ms. McClain reported me to the Attorney Grievance Commission of Maryland, which studied Ms. McClain’s submissions and found that her complaints ‘do not warrant an investigation,’” wrote Christman in an email to the AFRO. “In addition, Ms. McClain sued me which resulted in lengthy court proceedings in the Circuit Court of Maryland before a neutral judge, and I was found not liable as a matter of law. This decision was affirmed by a panel of three appellate judges. Ms. McClain petitioned for Supreme Court review and was denied.”
“The court decisions speak for themselves,” he continued. “I wish Ms. McClain the best and have nothing more to add.”
The post After complaints go nowhere, Maryland woman pushes for accountability from local lawyers appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.
Great Job Megan Sayles AFRO Staff Writer & the Team @ AFRO American Newspapers Source link for sharing this story.
