Matter of Anonymous

AB (plaintiff), an employee of an organization the respondent attorney (defendant) represented, called the attorney about a domestic dispute with her husband, including his allegations that AB had threatened him, and mentioned they were separating; AB then called again asking for a referral to a family-law lawyer, and the attorney referred her to a colleague at her firm, who AB retained to file for divorce, with the original attorney aware of that filing. AB and her husband later reconciled, the divorce petition was withdrawn, and AB ended her relationship with the firm, all unbeknownst to the original attorney, who months later told a mutual friend about AB's divorce filing and her husband's threat allegations, encouraging the friend to reach out to AB. When the friend relayed this disclosure to AB, she filed a grievance against the attorney.