Cleveland Attorney Accused of Incompetent Representation and Dishonesty
Ohio State Bar Association v. Harvey B. Bruner, Case No. 2020-1533
Cuyahoga County

Harvey Bruner, a criminal defense attorney in Cleveland, is facing a proposed two-year suspension for failing to provide competent legal representation, failing to explain to clients what legal services he would provide for his fee, and not keeping proper records of his work.

The Ohio State Bar Association (OSBA), which investigated the allegations, and Bruner had agreed that he violated several rules governing the conduct of Ohio attorneys and to dismiss other alleged rule violations. Bruner and the OSBA settled on a recommended suspension of two years with one year stayed and restitution for two clients. However, the panel of the Ohio Board of Professional Conduct that heard the disciplinary case reinstituted a dismissed rule violation related to two clients, finding that Bruner's conduct involved fraud, dishonesty, deceit, or misrepresentation.

The board adopted the panel's recommendations, but Bruner objects to them. Given the attorney's objections, the Ohio Supreme Court will hear the case during oral arguments, which will be held by videoconference because of the COVID-19 health crisis. The Court's session will be livestreamed.