A San Diego attorney has been disbarred for failing to refund $30,000 in unearned legal fees, the State Bar Court announced this month.

Stefan Ghaemi, 33, did not participate in State Bar Court proceedings for five counts of alleged misconduct filed against him and he was disbarred by default, effective July 23.

According to State Bar records, the court found that Ghaemi repeatedly failed to provide any of the legal services he was hired to perform in a business dispute. Those services included freezing a bank account and filing a lawsuit on behalf of his client regarding the dispute.

Ghaemi then failed to refund the client’s $30,000 in advanced legal fees, “which he did not fully earn,” even after the client terminated his employment, the court said.


Ghaemi did not respond to calls and messages on his cell phone seeking comment.

Additional counts against Ghaemi included delaying the release of records and other case documents to his former client, despite receiving six requests for the information, and failing to notify the State Bar about a change in his membership address within 30 days.

The State Bar court ordered Ghaemi to return the $30,000 in legal fees to his former client, plus interest. He must also notify all of his current clients of the discipline and tell them to seek legal advice or representation elsewhere.

The California Supreme Court, which oversees all disbarments, approved the State Bar court’s order on June 23.


Ghaemi is listed at the Law Offices of Stefan Ghaemi in Mission Valley, according to State Bar records. The address and phone number now belong to another law firm, where a receptionist said Ghaemi hasn’t been an employee for least three years.

State Bar records show Ghaemi was licensed to practice law in California on Dec. 1, 2011, and was a member until his disbarment.

He received a law degree from Whittier Law School in Costa Mesa. It’s affiliated with Whittier College, which announced in April that it would stop accepting new applicants and close the law school after current students graduate.


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