BOARD OF PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY (2007)
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BOARD OF PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY
of the
SUPREME COURT OF TENNESSEE
1101 KERMIT DRIVE, SUITE 730
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE 37217
TELEPHONE: (615) 361-7500
(800) 486-5714
FAX: (615) 367-2480
E-MAIL: ethics@tbpr.org
Website: www.tbpr.org
RELEASE OF INFORMATION
RE: SHERMAN AMES, #7163
CONTACT. WILLIAM W. HUNT, III, J.D., PH.D.
BOARD OF PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY
615-361-7500
September 11, 2007
LAW LICENSE OF FORMER KNOXVILLE LAWYER SUSPENDED
On August 28, 2007, the Supreme Court of Tennessee entered an order suspending the law license of Sherman
Ames for six months followed by an indefinite suspension to be terminated upon Mr. Amesâ satisfaction of conditions
imposed by the Court. Mr. Ames, now a resident of Montana, formerly practiced law in Knoxville.
This matter arose out of a Petition for Discipline filed as to Mr. Ames. The matter was heard by a Hearing Panel,
which recommended this suspension. Mr. Ames appealed to the Knox County Chancery Court, which affirmed the
Hearing Panelâs decision. Mr. Ames then appealed to the Supreme Court of Tennessee. The Supreme Court dismissed
Mr. Amesâ appeal for his failure to file a brief in the matter.
Mr. Ames and the other members of his firm failed to adequately supervise an employee of his firm and thereby
were not aware that this employee was embezzling monies from the firmâs trust account. Mr. Ames also had a sexual
relationship with the employee. This employee also managed Mr. Amesâ personal trust account. Mr. Ames was unaware
that the approximate $784,000 the employee misappropriated from the firm was laundered through Mr. Amesâ personal
account. No client was harmed by this misappropriation, since the law firm reimbursed its trust account for the monies
misappropriated.
Mr. Ames continued to inadequately supervise his personal trust account after the aforementioned employee was
fired. He received $130,000 on behalf of his client in a workerâs compensation case. Mr. Ames subsequently
commingled these funds with his personal funds. He was entitled to receive a fee in the amount of $26,000. Mr. Ames
instead paid himself a fee in the amount of almost $65, 000. Furthermore, due to his inadequate trust accounting, almost
$3000 was unaccounted for.
The Court required Mr. Ames to complete a course in trust accounting and reimburse his client for the excess fee
and the unaccounted amount of money in his trust account before his license was reinstated.
Ames 1271-2 rel.doc
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