Scott attorney disbarred, ordered to pay restitution to former clients
NEW ORLEANS, La. (KLFY) -- An attorney who is accused of abandoning his practice in Scott to live in California has been disbarred and ordered to pay restitution to his former clients, the Louisiana Supreme Court announced.
In an opinion handed down on Friday, the Louisiana Supreme Court ordered that Ned Franklin Pierce Sonnier Sr. have his name "stricken from the roll of attorneys" and his license revoked. He was further ordered to repay his clients and the Louisiana State Bar Association's Client Assistance Fund, totaling more than $39,000.
Sonnier earned his law degree in 2017 from LSU Law. According to his social media, Sonnier attended North Vermilion High School and the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.
Per his law firm's Facebook page, his law office was a "full service firm dedicated to serving your legal needs with a lifetime commitment." The last post on his firm's Facebook page is dated Aug. 31, 2021.
In 2020, he was a finalist for The Daily Advertiser's "Best of Times of Acadiana 2020" honor for the category "Best Personal Injury Attorney." He was nominated again for the Best of Times of Acadiana honor the following year for several categories.
According to Friday's court opinion, complaints made to the Office of Disciplinary Counsel (ODC) against Sonnier go back to 2018. Among those complaints, Sonnier is accused of failing to refund an unearned fee, engaging in dishonest conduct, failure to communicate with clients and more.
In at least one instance, a client drove to Sonnier's law office in the fall of 2021 when the lack of communication became "more problematic," only to find that the office was closed and "all signage had been taken down."
In 2022, Chief Judge Laurie A. Hulin, of the 15th Judicial District Court in Abbeville, told the ODC that Sonnier failed to appear for a scheduled hearing for his client's criminal matter.
"Judge Hulin indicated that police officers were dispatched to locate respondent and learned in a phone call with him that respondent was in Laguna Beach, California," Friday's court document read.
The ODC also received a letter from another attorney who knew Sonnier, according to Friday's opinion. In the letter, the attorney "outlined his interaction with respondent's mother and others who shared their belief that respondent was living in California and may be having a mental health and/or substance abuse issues."
KLFY was unable to reach Sonnier for comment on Friday.
See the court's opinion here:
Louisiana Supreme Court - Ned Sonnier opinion by eenfinger on Scribd