I am a reinstated lawyer who has practiced in the niche of professional responsibility and attorney ethics since 2008. Now I am an experienced California ethics attorney, based in Northern California and servicing the entire State of California. My own successful navigation through the State Bar discipline system gives me a perspective that is unique among my colleagues in my field – yours.
Bar Admissions
State of California, 1991
U.S District Court, Northern District of California
U.S District Court, Eastern District of California
U.S District Court, Central District of California
U.S District Court, Southern District of California
Education
University of San Francisco School of Law, San Francisco, California
J.D. – 1990
Law Review: University of San Francisco School of Law Review, 1988
University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California
B.A. – 1987
Published Works
Bar Switches Up Theories in Fee Dispute Case, Daily Journal (Daily Journal Corporation, April 22, 2016)
From Disbarment to Reinstatement: A Lawyer’s Long Road to Recovery, The Trial Lawyer (San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association, Summer 2010)
Press and Publications by Others
Lyle Moran, State Bar staff want attorneys to pay re-fingerprinting costs, Daily Journal (Daily Journal Corporation, November 1, 2017)
Andy Serbe, State Bar judge doubles requested suspension for OC prosecutor, Daily Journal (Daily Journal Corporation, October 13, 2017)
Lyle Moran, Turnover among State Bar’s executive staff to continue, Daily Journal (Daily Journal Corporation, September 6, 2017)
Lyle Moran, State Bar’s union ‘dismayed’ about incoming executive director, Daily Journal (Daily Journal Corporation, August 11, 2017)
Malcolm Maclachlan, Accountant’s win in fingerprinting case could affect lawyers, Daily Journal (Daily Journal Corporation, July 13, 2017)
Lyle Moran, State Bar says re-fingerprinting attorneys will cost more than $9M, Daily Journal (Daily Journal Corporation, July 12, 2017)
Lyle Moran, Bill would require attorneys to disclose pro bono work, donations, Daily Journal (Daily Journal Corporation, April 18, 2017)
Malcolm Maclachlan, Bill would sanction attorneys who use tenants’ immigration status against them, Daily Journal (Daily Journal Corporation, February 8, 2017)
Melanie Brisbon, Los Angeles lawyer pleads guilty to building industrial marijuana site, Daily Journal (Daily Journal Corporation, January 19, 2017)
Lyle Moran, Disbarred attorney claims State Bar violated his Fifth Amendment rights, Daily Journal (Daily Journal Corporation, November 2, 2016)
Stacey A. Tovino, The House Edge: On Gambling and Professional Discipline (91 Washington Law Review 1253, October 2016)
Tracey Kaplan and Mark Gomez, Santa Clara County court employees strike continues with no resolution, San Jose Mercury News (August 9, 2016)
Lyle Moran, State Bar owed $8.5 M from disciplined attorneys, Daily Journal (Daily Journal Corporation, January 19, 2016)
Lyle Moran, Ex-administrative law judge cleared of bar’s disciplinary charges, Daily Journal (Daily Journal Corporation, December 24, 2015)
Amy Impellizzeri, Lawyer Interrupted, ABA Publishing (American Bar Association, 2015)
Erin Coe, Calif. Bar’s New Rules Revamp Roadmap On Atty Discipline, Law360.com (LexisNexis, May 12, 2015)
G.M Filisko, The Rough Road to Redemption, ABA Journal (American Bar Association, August 2013)
Don J. Debenedictis, State Bar argues in favor of remanding discipline plea bargains, Daily Journal (Daily Journal Corporation, August 1, 2012)
Don J. Debenedictis, Discipline defense attorneys oppose ‘claw back’ of cases, Daily Journal (Daily Journal Corporation, July 26, 2012)
Classes and Seminars:
2018 MCLE Panels
January 12, 2018, The Other Bar, Overview of the Attorney Discipline System
May 3, 2018, Sacramento County Bar Association, Breakfast Forum, Substance Abuse Issues in the California State Bar Discipline System
2017 MCLE Panels
Lake County Bar Association, Attorney Competence CLE Presentation
The Judges of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of California and the Bench Bar Liaison Committee for the Northern District of California Bankruptcy Court, 2017 Bay Area Bankruptcy Judges’ Conference: “Program #1: An Ethical Good-Bye”
Congressman Don Edwards Inn of Court Group, Attorney Competence
2016 MCLE Panels
Santa Clara County Bar Association Women Lawyers’ Section, Annual 3 in 1: Elimination of Bias, Legal Ethics, and Competence Issues
Bay Area Traffic Ticket Defender’s Association (BATTDA), Ethics MCLE Presentation
Lake County Bar Association, Attorney Competence & Elimination of Bias MCLE Presentations
Marin County Bar Association, Employment Law Section, Ethics MCLE Presentation
San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association, Starting Your Own Law Firm
Alameda County Bar Association, Ethics Discipline, and Substance Abuse in Bankruptcy Cases
2015 MCLE Panels
Sonoma County Bar Association, MCLE Splash (Competence & Elimination of Bias) (November)
Sonoma County Bar Association, MCLE Splash (Competence & Elimination of Bias) (January)
San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association, Ethics & Conflicts Roundtable
Kenneth P. Roye, 2015 Annual Wildland Fire Litigation Conference
DRI, 2014 DRI Annual Meeting
2014 MCLE Panels
Contra Costa County Bar Association – Family Law Section, Getting Out: Out of the Case, Out of Practice, Out of Dodge
Lex Romana, Substance Abuse MCLE
Contra Costa County Bar Association, What the State Bar Might Think About BYOD, ESI
2013 MCLE Panels
Congressman Don Edwards Bankruptcy Inn of Court, Prevention, Detection and Treatment of Substance Abuse/Mental Illness that Impairs Professional Competence
Santa Clara County Bar Association, Annual 3 in 1: Legal Ethics, Substance Abuse & Elimination of Bias
2012 MCLE Panels
ALM Media, 2012 General Counsel West Coast Conference
State Bar of California, Annual Meeting: Hot Topics in Ethics
Lex Romana, Substance Abuse MCLE
2011 MCLE Panels
Congressman Don Edwards Bankruptcy Inn of Court, Substance Abuse and the Ethics Issues it Creates
State Bar of California, Annual Meeting: How Lawyers Get in Trouble
Orange County Bar Association, Orange County Bar Association #75
University of San Francisco, The Winning Argument Against Substance Abuse
Orange County Bar Association, Loan Modifications
Professional Associations and Memberships
Association of Discipline Defense Counsel, Member, 2009 – Present
(President, 2015 & 2016)
Marin County Bar Association, Member, 2015 — Present
Sonoma County Bar Association, Member, 2015 – Present
Alameda County Bar Association, Member, 2012 – Present
Alameda-Contra Costa Trial Lawyers Association, Member, 2012 – Present
San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association, Member, 2010 – Present
Contra Costa County Bar Association, Member, 2009 – Present
Association of Professional Responsibility Lawyers, Member, 2009 – Present
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), Member, 2016 – Present
Italian-American Bar Association Northern California, Member, 2016 – Present