News Releases

State Bar Seizes the Garden Grove Practice of Disbarred Attorney Who Victimized Vietnamese Immigrants

The State Bar of California has seized the unauthorized law practice of a Garden Grove man who defrauded Vietnamese immigrants. Toan Quy Thai, doing business as Pacific Immigration Law Office, was disbarred by the District of Columbia and the federal Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) in 2017. He has never been licensed to practice law in California.

Despite that, he represented hundreds of vulnerable immigrants, primarily in Orange County’s large Vietnamese community, and falsely stated on multiple immigration filings that he was an attorney qualified to practice law and represent them in federal proceedings. This deception subjected his clients not only to fraud but also to the risk of adversely affecting their immigration status and exposing them to deportation.

On August 21, 2020, the Superior Court of Orange County assumed jurisdiction over Thai’s unauthorized law practice after granting the State Bar’s request for an interim order and injunction. This allowed the State Bar to immediately seize an estimated 400 client files from Thai’s unauthorized law practice, freeze business-related bank accounts, disable business-related telephone numbers and websites, and redirect telephone calls and mail to the State Bar.

The State Bar has a unit dedicated to investigating and addressing the unauthorized practice of law, including those who give legal advice without a license or otherwise pose as attorneys. 

Federal officials brought Thai’s unlawful practice to the State Bar’s attention in 2019, and the State Bar initiated an investigation. Federal officials shared dozens of fraudulent filings by Thai in which he misrepresented his eligibility to practice law in immigration proceedings by using his DC bar number despite being disbarred. If an attorney practices law after having been disbarred, it is considered the unauthorized practice of law.

The State Bar will again appear in superior court on September 18, 2020, when the court will decide whether to grant a permanent order and injunction prohibiting Thai from providing unauthorized legal services.

The State Bar is seeking to return client files to their owners and has established a dedicated phone number for Thai’s former clients who wish to reclaim their files or documents: 213-765-1686. 

People who have been targeted by someone who is not licensed to practice law can file an unauthorized practice of law complaint with the State Bar. There is no cost, and U.S. citizenship is not required; the State Bar will not ask complainants about their citizenship or immigration status. The online complaint form is available in English, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese.

In 2019, the State Bar opened more than 900 cases in which a nonattorney was alleged to have engaged in the unauthorized practice of law, a 24 percent increase over the previous year. A portion of these cases involved the unauthorized practice of immigration law. The State Bar also received more than 400 immigration-related complaints about attorneys in 2019.

The State Bar advises Californians to take the following precautions to avoid fraud by unlicensed legal providers or potential attorney misconduct:

• Ask for the attorney's full name and State Bar number. Before hiring an attorney or paying any sum of money, look up the attorney on the State Bar website or the website of the state in which they say they are licensed, to see if their license is active and whether they have any history of discipline. You can also call the State Bar at 800-843-9053 for information.
• If the attorney is representing you in immigration matters, make sure they are licensed to practice before the U.S. Department of Justice’s Executive Office for Immigration Review. The office posts list of practitioners who are not currently authorized to practice or have been disciplined by the office.
• Get your contract in writing, and make certain to get receipts for payments you make.
• Be wary if someone requires cash payments. If you must pay in cash, be sure to get a written receipt.
• Do not hire anyone who threatens to report your immigration status if you do not pay them immediately or for any other reason.
• Keep a paper trail. If you do not have a bank account, use a cashier's check, and insist on a written receipt. If you have already made a payment, you are entitled to ask for an accounting of the fees and a description of the services being provided. 

Additional State Bar resources for consumers:

• Immigration legal resources
• Legal guides in seven languages, including guides for immigrants on seeking legitimate legal help and avoiding immigration fraud.

###

Follow the State Bar online
Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram

The State Bar of California's mission is to protect the public and includes the primary functions of licensing, regulation and discipline of attorneys; the advancement of the ethical and competent practice of law; and support of efforts for greater access to, and inclusion in, the legal system.