| Description: |
Shakespear N Feyissa (WSBA No. 33747, admitted 2003) of Seattle, WA, was disbarred, effective 6/18/2026, by order of the Washington Supreme Court. Francesca D’Angelo, Nate Blanchard and Benjamin Attanasio acted as disciplinary counsel. Anne I. Seidel represented respondent. Janice Sue Wang was the hearing officer. James D Hicks was the settlement hearing officer.
The lawyer’s conduct violated the following Rules of Professional Conduct: 1.4 (Communication), 1.5 (Fees), 1.15A (Safeguarding Property), 4.1 (Truthfulness in Statements to Others), 8.1 (Bar Admission and Disciplinary Matters), 8.4(a) (Violate the RPCs), 8.4(b) (Criminal Act), 8.4(c) (Dishonesty, Fraud, Deceit or Misrepresentation) and 8.4(l) (ELC violation).
The hearing officer recommended, and the court ordered, that Feyissa be disbarred from the practice of law in Washington State.
Feyissa was found to have violated the Rules of Professional Conduct by 1) making false statements to one or more insurance providers and/or third parties personally or through a paralegal, 2) failing to give one or more clients reasonable and fair disclosure of material elements of the fee agreement; misrepresenting the amounts of subrogation liens against one or more client’s recoveries; and/or making one or more misrepresentations as to whom the “Mahler” and/or other fees would be paid, 3) charging and/or collecting unreasonable fees, 4) failing to maintain disputed funds from a client’s settlement in trust until the dispute with the insurance company was resolved, 5) submitting false evidence to ODC during a grievance investigation, 6) lying to a third person about what a client’s insurer was offering to settle the client’s case, 7) failing to promptly pay to a third person what the third person was entitled to receive.
Decision documents: Hearing Officer’s Amended Decision; Disciplinary Board Order Adopting Hearing Officer’s Decision; and Washington Supreme Court Order.
|