Lennox Suspended From Practicing Law Indefinitely By Supreme Court
INDIANAPOLIS — Scott J. Lennox, St. Clair, Mich., formerly of Warsaw, has been suspended indefinitely from practicing law.
Indiana Supreme Court Chief Justice Loretta H. Rush, signed an order converting Lennox’s suspension for noncooperation with the disciplinary process to indefinite suspension on Monday, March 23. The order states his current suspension from the practice of law for failure to cooperate with the disciplinary process is converted to an indefinite suspension, effective immediately.
Lennox had his law license suspended in 2019 after he was charged with two counts of fraud on a financial institution, level 5 felonies; and six counts of theft, level 6 felonies, for stealing funds from Lennox, Sobek and Buehler LLC..
He received a suspended sentence on Feb. 28 of 12 years, six years on each of the fraud charges, and one year on each of the theft charges. The sentence on the fraud charges will run concurrently, while the theft charges will run consecutively to the fraud charges. He was also ordered to pay $51,088.52 in restitution to the victims with $14,621.71 to Matthew Buehler and Joseph Sobeck; $1,986 to Lake City Bank and $34,481.81 to a surrogate attorney who will identify which former clients of Lennox’s are entitled to reimbursement.
A petition was filed with the Indiana Supreme Court Disciplinary Commission against Lennox for allegations of professional misconduct in 2019. He was suspended from the practice of law in the state on Nov. 8, 2019, after he was ordered to show cause why he should not be immediately suspended from the practice of law in the state for failure to cooperate with the commission’s investigation of grievances filed against him.
That document, dated Nov. 8, 2019, states that the suspension in each of the four cases would be continued until the executive director of the disciplinary commission certified to the court that Lennox cooperated fully with the investigation or until further order of the court. However, the document showed Lennox was already under a suspension for continuing legal education noncompliance. He was also ordered to reimburse the disciplinary commission $534.75 for the costs of one of the cases against him.
The March 23 order states Lennox is ordered to fulfill the continuing duties of a suspended attorney under Admission and Discipline Rule 23 (26). To be re-admitted to the practice of law in Indiana, Lennox must cure the causes of all suspensions in effect and successfully petition the court for reinstatement pursuant to Admission and Discipline Rule 23 (18)(b).
The Admission and Discipline Rule 23 (26) states upon receiving the order, he is not to undertake any new legal matters between receipt of the order and the effective date of the suspension and not practice law, represent clients or maintain a presence or occupy an office where the practice of law is conducted. He is also to file a notice of his suspension in every pending matter in which he has filed an appearance and attach a copy of the suspension order to the notice.
See related article: Lennox Receives Suspended Sentence In Fraud, Theft Case