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State Bar to petition court for Encino attorney's disbarment in loan modification case

Thursday, February 15, 2018

The State Bar of California is set to request for the disbarment of a Southern California lawyer who was charged with bilking tens of thousands of dollars from loan modification clients, and allowing non-attorneys to unlawfully run his practice.

In all, Andrew Weitz [#129962], 60, of Encino, was charged in three misconduct cases, the latest in January 2018. The State Bar posted a consumer alert on Weitz's attorney profile page in 2016, which has remained there as his discipline cases moved forward. His State Bar Court trial was set to begin in early February, but he only appeared briefly and then left.

The State Bar Court then entered a default in his case. After 50 days, the State Bar plans to petition the State Bar Court for Weitz's disbarment. Weitz is not currently eligible to practice law.

There were 52 charges against Weitz in three separate notices of disciplinary charges filed by the State Bar’s Office of Chief Trial Counsel. The charges include the following:

Forming a partnership with a non-attorney
Lending his name to non-attorneys to operate his law firm without supervision; aiding the non-attorneys in the unauthorized practice of law and allowing staff to commit lender fraud
Sharing approximately $750,000 in legal fees with non-attorneys
Charging unconscionable fees from 16 clients totaling approximately $255,000
Collecting illegal fees from 16 clients – roughly $225,000— for loan modification services
Allowing his staff to misappropriate approximately $10,000 from a client
Making multiple misrepresentations to his clients, an arbitrator, and the State Bar
Commingling personal funds in client trust and using it for personal expenses
Committing a misdemeanor by attempting to steal or remove a court file from a court
Engaging in the unauthorized practice of law after he was placed involuntary inactive status
Charging illegal fees of approximately $4,000 while his license was suspended

Consumer alerts are posted when attorneys are charged with committing loan modification misconduct involving 15 or more clients, which is what triggered the consumer alert against Weitz. The State Bar also posts consumer alerts when lawyers are charged with misappropriating $25,000 or more from their clients.

Anyone who believes they have been the victim of attorney misconduct is urged to file a complaint with the State Bar or call 800-843-9053. Complaints forms are available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese and Russian. The intake line has live interpretation available in over 200 languages.

State Bar's additional resources for consumers:

Note: The filing of disciplinary charges by the State Bar does not constitute a finding of professional misconduct. Attorney discipline charges are adjudicated in State Bar Court. The California Supreme Court has final authority over all disbarments and suspensions.