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State board recommends Worcester attorney be disbarred

  • Posted by Worcester News October 12, 2021 - Filed in News - #Abby Williams  #Abigail Willians  #Ross Annenberg  - 13,254 views

    “Blatant lies, obfuscations, and evasions” aggravating factors, Board writes

    Daderot, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

    The state agency that investigates and evaluates complaints against lawyers has recommended a Worcester attorney be disbarred for misusing clients’ money. 

    In a decision dated September 13th, the Board of Bar Overseers wrote that Abby R. Williams, also known as Abigail R. Williams, “intentionally deprived several clients of their money from personal injury settlements” by “fraudulently inflating case expenses.”

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    The decision affirms the recommendation of a hearing committee that investigated the charges.

    In August 2019, Williams had her license to practice law administratively suspended.

    In an article in the Telegram & Gazette, “notices were sent to state and federal courts last month, Supreme Judicial Court records show, after the Board of Bar Overseers secured the suspension in April.

    “According to the BBO petition, Ms. Williams failed to cooperate with a disciplinary investigation opened following allegations she failed to properly account for $124,356 in costs her firm charged a client in a medical malpractice case.”

    In the same month, Williams won a civil lawsuit that alleged she committed malpractice.

    The Telegram & Gazette reported that, “[a]fter an 11-day trial, the jury ruled that Ms. Williams did not commit legal malpractice, did not make negligent misrepresentations and did not make an intentional misrepresentation in her representation of a client in a medical malpractice lawsuit.

    In the recent decision, the Board agreed with the hearing committee that Williams was responsible for diverting money into her firm’s bank account, as well as her own personal account. 

    Williams claimed that the wrongdoing was done by a former employee, lawyer Ross Annenberg, who pleaded guilty to stealing $225,000 in 2019 and was disbarred. “In a disturbing confluence of misconduct, [Williams] and Annenberg independently stole money from different clients,” the Board wrote.

    The Board found no mitigating factors in Williams’ conduct, but “also found as an aggravating factor that [Williams] failed to recognize her own ethical obligations and the nature and consequences of her actions by repeatedly attempting to blame others.”

    The Board held that Williams lied in her testimony to the committee and wrote, “We generally are reticent to penalize a lawyer for defending herself at trial. However, our indulgence is limited. Where, as here, the record is replete with blatant lies, obfuscations, and evasions, we will not hesitate to consider this in aggravation.”

    The finds were at odds with those of the special prosecutor who tried the case against Annenberg. In 2019, prosecutor Donald Ball told the T&G, “I’ve never seen one document that indicates that Abigail stole any money from anyone.” 

    The case is subject to appeal.

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