Defense Lawyer and Life Coach Accused in Ethics Complaint Cites Lectern Misunderstanding
A well known Minneapolis defense lawyer who touts his services as a life coach says some of the recent ethics allegations against him are due to misunderstandings.
Lawyer Barry Voss is accused in an ethics complaint (PDF) of failing to pay employer withholding taxes, overdrawing his trust account, failing to respond to client inquiries, and keeping referral fees without accounting for the time spent. The Minneapolis Star Tribune and the MinnLawyer Blog covered the allegations.
Voss has represented defendants in several high-profile cases, including the alleged leader of the “Beat-Down Posse” who is awaiting trial on racketeering charges, the Star Tribune says.
Voss tells the Star Tribune that a new accountant is clearing up the tax allegations and he never withheld money from clients. He said some of the complaints against him are due to misunderstandings, such as the time he stood at a lectern with a blank legal pad, leading a client to believe he wasn’t doing any work.
