- Report: #1077866
Complaint Review: Mari Jo Clark - Phoenix Arizona
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Author Not Confirmed
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Mari Jo Clark
3700 N. 24 Street, Suite 120 Phoenix, 85016 Arizona, USA
Phone:
602-956-3328
Web:
www.clarklawaz.com
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Mari Jo Clark Bankruptcy Attorney Mari Jo Clark Referred To State Bar Disciplinary Committee Phoenix Arizona
A former employee has reported to the State Bar Of Arizona that, Mari Jo Clark, of Clark Law Offices, specializing primarily in Bankruptcy Law with locations in Phoenix, Mesa and Glendale, of fee sharing with a non-attorney.
Fee sharing is the very illegal practice of an Attorney financially gifting associates, employees and others a portion of their standard and customary fees. The American Bar Association Model Rule 5.4(a) states clearly that a “lawyer or law firm shall not share legal fees with a non-lawyer.” This fee sharing prohibition applies to direct sharing of fees as the lawyer or law firm receives them. A second rule, American bar Association Rule 7.2(b) bluntly states that a “lawyer shall not give anything of value to a person for recommending the lawyer’s services.”
The former employee, who wishes to remain anonymous, states that Mari Jo Clark compensates both her sales person to sell clients on the firm and, her Chapter 13 Bankruptcy clerks a percentage of the fees generated by their efforts to get clients filing approved with the bankruptcy Court for the firm. This illicit conduct is most commonly referred to as "fee splitting". This type of misconduct is usually related to “running and capping,” whereby law firm employees solicit clients in exchange for financial reward. While attorneys and law firms are permitted to compensate non-lawyer colleagues based on overall firm profits, they are NOT permitted to do so based on a percentage or revenues from any one particular matter.
The former employee has notified the Arizona State Bar Association with details of Ms. Clark’s casuistic activities, and anyone with any information or knowledge of the unethical practices of Mari Jo Clark or Clark Law Offices are encouraged to contact the Arizona State Bar Association by calling 602-252-4804 (from within Maricopa County) or 1-866-482-9227 (toll-free outside Maricopa County) or by sending written communication to State Bar Association Of Arizona, Staff Bar Counsel, 4201N.24th Street Suite 200, Phoenix, Arizona 85016. Ms. Clark refused to comment about these allegations.
