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Louis F. Raymond was admitted to the State
Bar of Wisconsin on September 19, 1991. He
is not admitted to practice law in any other
jurisdiction. Raymond’s license to practice
law in Wisconsin became suspended on June
12, 2006 for failure to comply with
continuing legal education reporting
requirements. On October 31, 2006, his
license was suspended for nonpayment of
State Bar dues. On March 6, 2015, Raymond
filed a petition for reinstatement, which
was granted on August 12, 2015.
Since October 2004, Raymond has been
employed in Wisconsin by a company that does
not itself offer legal services (the
Company). Raymond was first employed as
Senior Litigation Counsel and later as
Associate General Counsel – Litigation.
Raymond’s job description stated that he was
expected to maintain an active license to
practice law.
During his suspension, Raymond filed an
ERISA notice on behalf of the Company in a
pending mediation and communicated a
settlement offer to third parties on behalf
of the Company. Raymond closely collaborated
with outside counsel, analyzing legal
issues, working with counsel regarding case
strategy, and assisting counsel with
interviewing and preparing witnesses for
depositions. Raymond also supervised
internal counsel and non-lawyer staff
performing law related work on behalf of the
Company, hired and supervised outside
counsel representing the Company in
litigation and pre-litigation matters,
reviewed and analyzed litigation-related
documents and matters, communicated with
persons employed by and persons outside the
Company regarding litigation-related
documents and matters, and communicated with
those with potential claims against the
company and/or their counsel. While not all
of the communications or work Raymond
performed on behalf of the Company during
his suspension would necessarily constitute
the practice of law, some of his actions
constituted the practice of law, and
Raymond’s use of the titles of Senior
Litigation Counsel and Associate General
Counsel - Litigation while interacting with
fellow employees of the Company, with those
performing legal services for the Company,
and with those who asserted claims against
the Company and/or their legal
representatives would have caused many of
those with whom he interacted to believe
that Raymond was an attorney licensed to
practice law in Wisconsin, communicating
with them as a lawyer representing the
Company.
In October 2009, Raymond’s direct supervisor
learned that Raymond’s license was
suspended. He directed Raymond to seek
reinstatement. Raymond failed to do so. When
his supervisor learned in October 2014 that
Raymond had failed to take the steps
necessary to seek reinstatement, he asked
Raymond to schedule time away from his day-
to-day work load to spend any time needed to
finalize his petition for reinstatement.
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By practicing law in Wisconsin at a time
when his license to practice law in
Wisconsin was suspended, Raymond violated
SCR 10.03(6), which states, “…[N]o person
whose membership is so suspended for
nonpayment of dues or assessments may
practice law during the period of the
suspension,” SCR 31.10(1), which states, “A
lawyer shall not engage in the practice of
law in Wisconsin while his or her state bar
membership is suspended under this rule”
[relating to CLE reporting], SCR 22.26(2),
which states, “An attorney whose license to
practice law is suspended or revoked or who
is suspended from the practice of law may
not engage in this state in the practice of
law or in any law work activity customarily
done by law students, law clerks, or other
paralegal personnel, except that the
attorney may engage in law related work in
this state for a commercial employer itself
not engaged in the practice of law,” and SCR
23.02(1), which states, “No person may
engage in the practice of law in Wisconsin,
or attempt to do so, or make a
representation that he or she is authorized
to do so, unless the person is currently
licensed to practice law in Wisconsin by the
Wisconsin Supreme Court and is an active
member of the State Bar of Wisconsin.”
Violations of SCR 10.03(6), SCR 21.10(1),
SCR 22.26(2), and SCR 23.02(1) are enforced
under the Rules of Professional Conduct via
SCR 20:8.4(f), which states, “It is
professional misconduct for a lawyer to…
violate a statute, supreme court rule,
supreme court order or supreme court
decision regulating the conduct of lawyers.”
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By using the titles Senior Litigation
Counsel and Associate General Counsel -
Litigation while employed in Wisconsin at a
time when his license to practice law in
Wisconsin was suspended, Raymond violated
SCR 23.02(3), which states, “Except as
permitted by SCR 10.03(4), only a person who
is currently licensed to practice law in
Wisconsin and who is an active member of the
State Bar of Wisconsin may represent himself
or herself to the public using the words
attorney at law, lawyer, solicitor,
counselor, attorney and counselor, proctor,
law, law office, or other equivalent words
in connection with his or her name or any
sign, advertisement, business card,
letterhead, circular, notice, or other
writing, document or design, the evident
purpose of which is to induce others to
believe or understand the person to be
authorized to practice law in this state or
otherwise qualified to provide professional
legal services or advice.” Violations of SCR
23.02(3) are enforced under the Rules of
Professional Conduct via SCR 20:8.4(f),
which states, “It is professional misconduct
for a lawyer to…violate a statute, supreme
court rule, supreme court order or supreme
court decision regulating the conduct of
lawyers.”
Raymond has no prior discipline.
In accordance with SCR 22.09(3), Attorney
Louis F. Raymond is hereby publicly
reprimanded.
Dated this 1st day of June, 2016.
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