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BOARD OF PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY
OF THE
SUPREME COURT OF TENNESSEE
10 CADILLAC DRIVE, SUITE 220
BRENTWOOD, TENNESSEE 37027
TELEPHONE: (615) 361-7500
(800) 486-5714
Website: www.tbpr.org
RELEASE OF INFORMATION
RE: IVAN OMAR LOPEZ, #026441
CONTACT: EILEEN BURKHALTER SMITH
BOARD OF PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY
615-361-7500
July 12, 2021
DAVIDSON COUNTY LAWYER CENSURED
On July 12, 2021, Ivan Omar Lopez, an attorney licensed to practice law in Tennessee, received a Public Censure
from the Board of Professional Responsibility of the Tennessee Supreme Court.
In the representation of two clients, Mr. Lopez withheld funds for anticipated medical bills. The medical provider
went out of business temporarily. Mr. Lopez maintained the funds in trust. Several months after the settlement of the
clientâs case, the medical provider sought payment for the medical bills in amounts in excess of the funds Mr. Lopez had
retained.
In October 2020, Mr. Lopez decided to remit payment to the medical provider in full, to timely resolve any
potential dispute. Mr. Lopez intended to remove the funds he held in trust, and also pay an additional $1,850 from his
own funds to issue full payment to the provider. On October 2, 2020, Mr. Lopez incorrectly removed the full amount of
funds from his trust account, $1,850 of which should have been paid from his operating account. Mr. Lopez did not
discover the error until April 2021. Mr. Lopez then made a second error in depositing too much into trust to remedy the
error, resulting in commingling of $3,149 of his funds with his client funds for two weeks.
Mr. Lopezâs conduct was negligent, not intentional, and did not result in harm to his clients or to the medical
provider at issue, but there was potential harm to other clients whose funds were removed for six months.
By the aforementioned acts, Ivan Omar Lopez has violated Rule of Professional Conduct
Rule 1.15 (safekeeping funds) and is hereby Publicly Censured with the condition that he attend the Boardâs next Trust
Account Workshop in September 2021.
A Public Censure is a rebuke and warning to the attorney, but it does not affect the attorneyâs ability to practice
law.
Lopez 65672-5 rel.doc