“On June 22, 2016, Frederick L. McGuire [#24001190], 67, of Houston, accepted a 15-month fully probated suspension effective March 1, 2017. The 164th Judicial District Court of Harris County found that McGuire violated Rule 1.04(f) [arranged for a division of fees between lawyers not in the same firm without obtaining the client’s written consent] and Rule 1.04(g) [sought fees beyond the value of the services provided when a referral was not made in compliance with 1.04(f)].
"McGuire was ordered to pay $1,930 in attorneys’ fees and direct expenses."
That’s an excerpt from texasbar.com. It’s one of at least three “disciplinary actions” (i.e., fully probated suspensions) taken against McGuire by the State Bar of Texas over the course of his less than distinguished career as a trial lawyer. He was first disciplined in 2006, then again in 2015.
Will the man never learn? Probably not, if all he ever gets is a slap on the wrist.
Still, it must be embarrassing to have derogatory comments about yourself posted online. It can’t be good for business. But what can you do? You can’t sue the bar for doing its job. Or, maybe you could, but you’d only burden yourself with more bad publicity.
Now, if an ordinary citizen were to publish a defamatory post like that, true or not, you could jump all over him, sue him for an exorbitant amount for the damage done to your already sullied reputation, bully him into retraction, and make him pay for his temerity.
That appears to be what McGuire is doing to former client Denise Felix, who posted a one-star review of him on Google after she received only $825.27 of a $7,500 settlement he negotiated, ostensibly on her behalf.
“This law office is the worst,” Felix commented. “I will never use or refer anyone to use Frederick L McGuire law office in this life or the next.”
McGuire has filed a $1.2 million defamation suit against Felix. The question is has McGuire actually been defamed?
