Suspended attorney in trouble again

Suspended Las Vegas lawyer Jeanne Winkler is in trouble again with the State Bar of Nevada.

The Bar filed a new complaint Thursday that accuses Winkler, 41, of engaging in the unauthorized practice of law.

When contacted Thursday at the law office of Bret Whipple, where she works as a legal administrator/law clerk, Winkler called the matter a misunderstanding and said she reported the problem to the Bar herself.

"I would never knowingly do something that would further jeopardize my license," she said.

When asked how long she has worked for Whipple, she replied, "That's nobody's business."

According to the Bar complaint, Winkler appeared at two Department of Motor Vehicles administrative hearings in February to represent individuals with cases before the agency.

At a Feb. 5 hearing, the complaint alleges, Winkler was addressed as "counsel" while appearing on Whipple's behalf, and she never told the judge that she was suspended from the practice of law.

During the hearing, according to the complaint, Winkler cross-examined the DMV's witness.

At a hearing on Feb. 11, the complaint alleges, Winkler was addressed as "counsel" while appearing on Whipple's behalf and "did not initially disclose at that time that she was suspended from the practice of law."

After being addressed as "counsel" a second time, according to the document, Winkler informed the adjudicator about her suspension.

The adjudicator then told Winkler that she could not represent a client at the hearing, and Winkler gave her opinion that she could represent the individual "as it was an administrative hearing," the complaint alleges.

Winkler was referred to the Nevada Administrative Code, which states that any attorney appearing at a DMV hearing must be in good standing.

According to the complaint, Winkler submitted a letter to the Bar stating that she did not disclose her suspension on Feb. 5 because she "believed she could appear at DMV hearings and because she was not addressed as 'an attorney' at that particular hearing." She admitted, however, that she was addressed as "counsel."

The Nevada Supreme Court suspended Winkler in March 2008 pending the resolution of formal disciplinary proceedings. The Bar had filed an emergency petition requesting the suspension.

In March of this year, the Bar filed a 16-count complaint that accuses Winkler of misappropriating nearly $150,000. According to the complaint, the misappropriation affected 56 clients.

Jonathan Schulman, a deputy city attorney in Las Vegas, previously filed a grievance that accused Winkler of engaging in the unauthorized practice of law, but it was dismissed. The grievance claimed Winkler went to Las Vegas Municipal Court on Oct. 8 and attempted to negotiate a traffic case on behalf of another person.

No hearing date has been set for either of the Bar complaints against Winkler.

Contact reporter Carri Geer Thevenot at cgeer@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-8135.