The Oregon State Bar is warning Oregonians about Lori E. Deveny, a Portland attorney who it says poses a threat of “public harm.”

The bar has asked the Oregon Supreme Court to disbar Deveny -- alleging that Deveny settled clients’ personal-injury cases without prior approval, cashed clients' settlement checks without their knowledge and didn’t pay some clients until years later.

All the while, the bar alleges in a formal complaint, Deveny strung along some clients with “false representations” about why they couldn’t be paid, such as imaginary liens for medical bills.

In all, the bar has received complaints from eight former clients.

After the bar charged Deveny with professional misconduct, she relinquished her law license in May. The Supreme Court also will officially rule on Deveny’s standing as a lawyer.

Deveny, 52, was licensed to practice law in Oregon 28 years ago. She has most recently been working as a sole practitioner handling civil cases. She couldn’t be reached Wednesday.

But her lawyer, Wayne Mackeson, offered this comment: “For reasons of her own, Ms. Deveny chose not to contest or defend against the allegations and instead resigned from the Oregon State Bar.”

Among the cases highlighted by the bar is that of a woman who was injured in a car crash and hired Deveny in 2011. Seven months later, Deveny secretly settled with an insurance company for $100,000 and cashed the check, but misled the woman for three years by telling her the insurance company refused to settle or had offered only $20,000, according to the bar’s complaint.

After three years, Deveny told the woman the insurance company had settled for $40,000, according to the complaint. Deveny had the woman sign a $40,000 settlement document -- when there actually was no such agreement, according to the bar.

The years continued to tick on and Deveny still didn’t pay the woman, according to the bar. Six years after Deveny settled the case for $100,000, the woman called the insurance company directly and only then learned of the six-figure settlement, the bar says.

Deveny didn’t pay the woman until months later, after the woman reported Deveny to the bar and the bar formally charged her with professional misconduct, according to the bar.

The bar alleges that Deveny committed felony aggravated theft of the woman. The bar also alleges that Deveny committed theft or forgery against other clients. The bar, however, doesn't have the authority to pursue criminal charges. State prosecutors haven't filed criminal charges as of Wednesday.

-- Aimee Green