The Louisiana Supreme Court has completely revoked the law license of Timmy James Fontenot, an attorney who operated out of Evangeline Parish.

Last year, the court disbarred Fontenot but said he would be eligible for re-admission to the bar in 2022.

In the new ruling, Fontenot is disbarred permanently and cannot be readmitted to practice law in Louisiana.

Issues with Fontenot began in 2011 with a joint petition by Fontenot and the Office of Disciplinary Counsel. According to the Supreme Court, Fontenot admitted at that time that he neglected a legal matter, failed to communicate with a client, charged an excessive fee and made misrepresentations.

At that time, Fontenot was suspended from law practice for one year.

The Office of Disciplinary Counsel filed formal charges against Fontenot in October 2015. The office alleged Fontenot had settled a personal injury case for $52,500 without his client’s consent, forged his client’s signature on settlement documents, misled his clients about the case status, failed to reduce a contingency fee and made cash withdrawals from his client’s trust account.

Those findings led to the 2017 disbarment ruling.

This year, the Louisiana Supreme Court investigated more allegations against Fontenot.

In this instance, Fontenot and another attorney agreed to provide legal services to a client in January 2013 over the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The case was referred to another law firm, with Fontenot being charged with communicating between the client and the firm.

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The case was settled in spring 2016 for $275,214. However, Fontenot allegedly only gave the client a check for $200,214 and forged documents to indicate the client had received the full amount.

The matter eventually was resolved, but Fontenot never explained what happened to the other $75,000, according to the Supreme Court.

Disciplinary complaints were filed against Fontenot in August 2016 over this matter. Fontenot allegedly did not respond for several weeks. He later denied all allegations in writing, but failed to appear for a sworn statement or provide requested documents as part of the investigation.

The Office of Disciplinary Counsel filed formal charges against Fontenot in April 2017. Fontenot allegedly did not respond to these charges. A hearing committee met and found Fontenot guilty of the charges.

“In acting as he did, respondent intentionally violated duties owed to his client, the public (his co-counsel), the legal system and the legal profession,” the Supreme Court wrote. “His conduct caused actual harm, first to the client and then to his co-counsel, who have yet to be repaid the $75,000 they gave him to cover the funds he converted to his own use.”

The Supreme Court also noted that it is “highly likely” Fontenot would engage in misconduct in the future.

In addition to the disbarment, Fontenot is ordered to pay full restitution, with interest, to his co-counsels in the Deepwater Horizon case.