H. Paul Carroll (2024)

THE STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

SUPREME COURT

ORDER LD-2024-0002, In the Matter of H. Paul Carroll, Esquire On January 16, 2024, the Attorney Discipline Office (ADO) filed a certified copy of the December 15, 2023 judgment of disbarment issued against the respondent, H. Paul Carroll, by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court for Suffolk County (Massachusetts SJC). With that filing, the ADO contended that Attorney Carroll’s professional “misconduct warrants the imposition of identical discipline in New Hampshire.” After receiving the Massachusetts SJC’s judgment and accompanying memorandum of decision (collectively, SJC order), this court issued an order, in accordance with Supreme Court Rule 37(12)(b), giving Attorney Carroll an opportunity to advise the court if he believed that the imposition of identical or substantially similar discipline in New Hampshire would be unwarranted. This court’s order was sent to Attorney Carroll at an address that he had provided to the New Hampshire Bar Association. See Supreme Court Rule 42 E(c). Attorney Carroll filed no response. After reviewing the Massachusetts SJC’s order and the ADO’s filing, the court concludes that disbarment of Attorney Carroll in New Hampshire is warranted. The Massachusetts SJC found that Attorney Carroll neglected and abandoned three client matters, intentionally misrepresented to clients the status of their matters, falsely claimed hospitalization to explain to clients his failures to take actions on their matters, intentionally misused client funds, and threatened to file a fraudulent lawsuit against one of those clients. In addition, Attorney Carroll knowingly failed, without good cause, to respond to bar counsel’s requests for information in connection with the disciplinary investigation and knowingly failed to comply with an administrative suspension order by failing to notify all clients and opposing counsel. The SJC determined that Attorney Carroll violated Massachusetts Rules of Professional Conduct 1.1, 1.2(a), 1.3, 1.4(a) and (b), 1.5(a), 1.15(b) and (d), 1.16(d), 3.4(c), 8.1(a) and (b), and 8.4(c), (d), (g), and (h), as well as SJC Rule 4: 01, § 3. Accordingly, this court orders as follows: (1) Attorney H. Paul Carroll is disbarred from the practice of law in New Hampshire.