Former law firm partner suspended for approving settlements without telling insurer client
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A former partner at Goldberg Segalla in its Pennsylvania office has been suspended for three years for settling cases without informing the insurer who hired his law firm.
Former Philadelphia partner Asher Brooks Chancey was suspended for three years, retroactive to September 2019 when he was temporarily suspended after reporting his wrongdoing to ethics regulators, Law360 reports.
The Legal Profession Blog links to the June 25 suspension order; a press release is here.
Chancey was suspended on consent and admitted wrongdoing outlined in a joint petition in support of discipline. He was fired from Goldberg Segalla in May 2018. The law firm announced his addition to the firm in an April 2016 announcement.
The insurer, the Knight Insurance Group, has filed several claims with Goldberg Segalla’s malpractice insurer for Chancey’s alleged mishandling of cases.
Chancey is accused of agreeing to settle auto accident cases in amounts ranging from $35,000 to $1.5 million without informing the Knight Insurance Group. He is also accused of failing to tell the insurance group about scheduled arbitration hearings and default judgments, failing to file court documents, failing to respond to discovery requests, and failing to pursue evidence.
The board cited mitigating factors that included cooperation and self-reporting in the disciplinary case, no prior record of discipline, remorse for the misconduct, and a diagnosis of depression and anxiety.
Chancey declined to comment to the ABA Journal.
