Lawyer Who Advertised Himself as "Managing Partner of a Law Firm" on Club Billboard... One-Month Suspension Deemed Justified
Seoul Administrative Court Dismisses Lawsuit Seeking to Overturn Disciplinary Action
The court has ruled that a one-month suspension imposed on a lawyer who ran an advertisement on electronic billboards in clubs and other entertainment establishments falsely introducing himself as the head of a law firm was justified.
According to the legal community on February 9, the 8th Administrative Division of the Seoul Administrative Court (Presiding Judge Yang Soonju) dismissed a lawsuit filed by Lawyer A seeking to overturn the Ministry of Justice Lawyers Disciplinary Committee's decision to reject his objection to the disciplinary action.
Around 2021, during a period when gatherings were banned, Lawyer A placed advertisements on electronic billboards in clubs and similar venues that were being operated through loopholes, displaying wording to the effect of "Managing Partner of a Law Firm." He also had business cards made for a manager at an entertainment establishment with the title of "Manager at a Law Office" and had him promote his office.
The Korean Bar Association Lawyers Disciplinary Committee found that, since Lawyer A did not operate a law firm, such wording constituted false advertising, and that he damaged the dignity of the legal profession by displaying his title as a lawyer on electronic billboards in entertainment establishments together with vulgar wording. In September 2023, it decided on a one-month suspension for Lawyer A.
Lawyer A filed an objection to the decision, but when the Ministry of Justice Lawyers Disciplinary Committee rejected it on the grounds that all reasons for discipline were established, he brought the case to court.
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The court stated, "It is difficult to conclude that the decision in this case is so clearly lacking in justification in terms of the level of discipline that it constitutes a deviation or abuse of the discretion granted to the disciplinary authority in light of social norms."
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