High court suspends Las Vegas lawyer
The Nevada Supreme Court issued an order Friday that suspends Las Vegas attorney Noel Gage from the practice of law.
According to the order, suspension and referral to the appropriate disciplinary board are mandatory when an attorney has been convicted of a serious crime.
Gage, 72, resolved his federal fraud case in February by pleading guilty to obstruction of justice, a felony. As required, Gage notified the State Bar of Nevada about his conviction.
In its order, the Supreme Court referred the matter to the bar's Southern Nevada Disciplinary Board for the initiation of formal disciplinary proceedings, which have not been scheduled. Gage, who has been licensed in Nevada since 1997, said he will argue against further sanctions.
"I firmly believe that I will be able to present a very compelling defense," Gage said Friday.
The fraud case stemmed from allegations that Gage had participated in a network of Las Vegas physicians and lawyers who defrauded clients by protecting doctors from malpractice lawsuits and sharing kickbacks from legal settlements.
He defended himself in court for nearly three years before pleading guilty to the obstruction charge. He entered a type of guilty plea that allows him to maintain his innocence.
The obstruction charge stemmed from an allegation that Gage had failed to disclose three checks he had written, totaling $1.1 million, as required by a grand jury subpoena.
U.S. District Judge Justin Quackenbush, a visiting judge from Washington, sentenced Gage in June to three years of probation. The judge also ordered Gage to spend three months on house arrest and to pay a $25,000 fine.
The defendant previously paid more than $700,000 to a former client as part of his plea agreement in the case.
Gage said he is required to work while on house arrest. He said he has continued to work at his law office but voluntarily stopped practicing law after his sentencing hearing.
Contact reporter Carri Geer Thevenot at cgeer@reviewjournal.com or 702-384-8710.
