Office of Lawyer Regulation v. Yuri Bernard Nielsen

Summary

The Supreme Court of Wisconsin reviewed a stipulated reciprocal-discipline matter involving Yuri Bernard Nielsen, who had been disbarred by the Supreme Court of Arizona for professional misconduct involving misappropriation of trust funds and related failures. The court accepted the stipulation and revoked Nielsen's Wisconsin law license effective December 20, 2013, without imposing costs.

Holdings

1. An attorney disbarred for professional misconduct in another jurisdiction is subject to reciprocal discipline in Wisconsin, and Wisconsin must impose identical discipline unless one of the exceptions in SCR 22.22(3) applies.
2. The court may accept the parties' stipulation to facts, misconduct conclusions, and discipline and impose the stipulated discipline without appointing a referee.
3. Nielsen's Wisconsin license to practice law must be revoked as reciprocal discipline for his Arizona disbarment.

Questions Presented

1. Whether Wisconsin should impose reciprocal discipline based on Nielsen's disbarment by the Supreme Court of Arizona.
2. Whether the parties' stipulation to reciprocal discipline should be accepted.
3. Whether Nielsen's Wisconsin license to practice law should be revoked.

Disposition

other