By Daniel Wiessner
ALBANY, N.Y., Nov 8 (Reuters) - An attorney who recently
joined Cozen O'Connor was suspended from practicing law on
Thursday after admitting to falsely billing more than $40,000 to
a client of his former firm.
John Horenstein admitted to the disciplinary committee of
the First Judicial Department that he took six "purely personal"
trips to Dallas in 2011 and billed the expenses to an unnamed
client at Condon & Forsyth, the Appellate Division, First
Department, said.
The court said that since Horenstein did not dispute the
allegations, he could be immediately suspended, pending a formal
disciplinary hearing.
Horenstein's attorney, Richard Maltz, declined to comment. A
spokeswoman for Cozen O'Connor did not return a request for
comment. A call to Condon & Forsyth was not returned.
Horenstein resigned from Condon & Forsyth in January, and
soon after sent a letter to the disciplinary committee admitting
to the false billing, the First Department said. The firm later
corroborated Horenstein's admission, according to the court.
Under New York Codes, Rules and Regulations
603.4(e)(1)(iii), an attorney may be suspended, pending a formal
disciplinary proceeding, "upon a finding that the attorney is
guilty of professional misconduct immediately threatening the
public interest."
The First Department panel included Presiding Justice Luis
Gonzalez and Justices David Saxe, Sheila Abdus-Salaam, Sallie
Manzanet-Daniels and Nelson Roman.
Horenstein graduated from Brooklyn Law School in 1994.
Before joining Condon & Forsyth, he worked as an associate at
Kraver & Levy and Realmuto & D'Alessio.
The case is the Matter of John Horenstein, New York State
Supreme Court, Appellate Division, First Department, No. 3078.
For the First Department Disciplinary Committee: Vitaly
Lipkansky.
For Horenstein: Richard Maltz.
(Additional reporting by Joseph Ax)
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