On September 12, 2016, the Minnesota Supreme Court issued an order indefinitely suspending Paul Hansmeier from the practice of law. Hansmeier has “no right to petition for reinstatement for 4 years from the effective date of his suspension.”
The Minnesota Supreme Court can be complimented for its pithy (2 and a half pages) rendition of the major ethical violations of Hansmeier. The description is quoted in full below:
Hansmeier committed misconduct in the first matter by bringing a lawsuit for the sole purpose of conducting discovery to find the identity of others against whom claims could be made, making misrepresentations to the tribunal. filing articles of termination for a corporation that contained false statements, failing to comply with discovery requests, failing to pay attorney fees assessed against him, and transferring funds out of his law firm in order to avoid paying sanctions. In a second matter, Hansmeier committed misconduct by participating in the initiation of a lawsuit without a basis in law and fact, making false and misleading statements to the court, failing to pay attorney fees assessed against him by the court. and submitting to the court a financial statement that was false, misleading, and deceptive. In a third matter, Hansmeier committed misconduct by bringing a frivolous action for an improper purpose. And in a fourth matter. Hansmeier committed misconduct by testifying falsely during a deposition, bringing a frivolous claim, and perpetrating a fraud upon the court. See Minn. R. Prof. Conduct 3.1, 3.3(a)(l), 3.4(c), 3.4(d), 4.1, 8.4(c),and 8.4( d); Ill. R. Prof. Conduct 3.1, 3.3(a), 3 .4( c ), 4.1, 8.4( c ), and 8.4( d); and Cal. R. Prof. Conduct 3-200 and 5-200. 1.
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