A West Virginia attorney’s creation of an inappropriate GoFundMe page, in confluence with other misconduct, resulted in a joint recommendation in which the attorney agreed to a 42 month suspension and a public reprimand.
The West Virginia Bar’s Hearing Panel Subcommittee of the Lawyer Disciplinary Board’s findings and recommendation indicate that the attorney, Mark Glover, admitted that he was suffering from stress and financial challenges resulting from a recent divorce when he converted funds from a youth soccer league in 2016 and 2017. While serving as the league’s treasurer, Glover wrote checks to himself totaling approximately $12,000. Glover indicated that he intended to repay the league when he transferred the funds to his own account. He self-reported the converted funds after another attorney confronted him about the checks.
After the discovery of the converted funds, Glover’s employer, a local law firm, terminated Glover. Glover then decided to establish a solo firm and created a crowdfunding page in order to “bridge the gap” in his employment.
The attorney’s GoFundMe page, entitled “Fundraiser by Mark Glover: Bridging the Gap,” “[a]fter nearly 20 years of practicing law, I have finally found what I was meant to be doing. I have transitioned from an insurance defense practice to becoming a sole practitioner representing individual and families. My primary focus is on helping children who have been abused and/or neglected.”
He explained that he needed funding because his former employer, upon learning of the Glover’s intentions, terminated his employment. Glover also offered free legal advice to anyone who donated on the GoFundMe page. Additionally, Glover indicated that he planned to return the donated amount when his income stream stabilized.
The Disciplinary Board’s findings indicate that Glover explained that he intended to distribute the GoFundMe page only to his family members, and he did not realize that it was a public page until the state bar regulators contacted him. The page was live for a few days, and he did not receive any donations. Glover acknowledged that information posted on the page was inaccurate and misleading, and that it was improper to offer free legal services in exchange for donations.
The Disciplinary Board found that Glover had violated the legal ethics rules by engaging in conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, and deceit or misrepresentation. In its recommendation for discipline, the Board considered mitigating factors, such as emotional turmoil in his personal life, his good-faith efforts to reimburse the money taken from the soccer league fund, his appearance of genuine remorse, and his full cooperation with all subsequent investigations, including self-reporting.
Ultimately, The West Virginia Supreme of Appeals adopted the joint recommendation of the Disciplinary Board and Glover in which he agreed to a 42 month suspension and a public reprimand.
Read the January order here. Read the October disciplinary recommendation here.
