Current Status:  Disbarred

This member is prohibited from practicing law in California by order of the California Supreme Court.

See below for more details.

Profile Information

The following information is from the official records of The State Bar of California.

Bar Number:	64832
Address:	5258 Mission St San Francisco, CA 94112	Phone Number:	(415) 239-0616
		Fax Number:	Not Available
		e-mail:	Not Available
County:	San Francisco	Undergraduate School:	San Francisco State Unv; San Francisco CA
District:	District 1
Sections:	None	Law School:	U of San Francisco SOL; San Francisco CA

Status History

Effective Date	Status Change
Present	Disbarred
2/21/2003	Disbarred
8/2/2001	Not Eligible To Practice Law
8/23/1990	Active
4/14/1990	Not Eligible To Practice Law
8/4/1975	Admitted to The State Bar of California

Explanation of member status

Actions Affecting Eligibility to Practice Law

Effective Date	Description	Case Number	Resulting Status
Disciplinary and Related Actions Overview of the attorney discipline system.
2/21/2003	Disbarment	97-O-15010	Disbarred
8/2/2001	Ordered inactive	97-O-15010	Not Eligible To Practice Law
4/14/1990	Discipline w/actual suspension	83-O-13940	Not Eligible To Practice Law
Administrative Actions
This member has no public record of administrative actions.

California Bar Journal Discipline Summaries

Summaries from the California Bar Journal are based on discipline orders but are not the official records. Not all discipline actions have associated CBJ summaries. Copies of official attorney discipline records are available upon request.

February 21, 2003

MIGUEL GADDA [#64832], 60, of San Francisco was disbarred Feb. 21, 2003, and was ordered to comply with rule 955.

The State Bar Court's review department upheld a hearing judge's recommendation that Gadda be disbarred for multiple acts of misconduct, including failing to perform legal services competently 10 times, refund unearned fees, communicate with clients or return their files, and for commingling funds and committing acts of moral turpitude by issuing trust account checks against insufficient funds.

He sought review, arguing that because he practices immigration law only, the State Bar has no jurisdiction over him. He also contended that the disciplinary proceeding was an attempt by the state to regulate the practice of law in federal courts.

The review department acknowledged that neither the Supreme Court nor the State Bar Court could restrict Gadda's federal practice. However, it said it is through his California license, granted by the Supreme Court, that he is eligible to practice in California.

Gadda had an immigration practice with a caseload of 500 to 600 cases. Clients were seen at his office on a first come, first served basis, often waiting several hours for a 10 to 20 minute appointment.

Immigration judges who testified at Gadda's trial said he frequently missed court appearances and often seemed unprepared. Gadda often hired other attorneys to appear for him and he gave a signature stamp to another attorney. Between 1998 and 2000, he worked mostly at home, due to illness, and came to his office two days a week.

The hearing judge found that Gadda committed 17 acts of misconduct in eight client matters and a trust account matter. Five of his clients were deported in absentia due to his actions.

Gadda also was disciplined previously for similar misconduct.

"Under the circumstances reflected by this record," wrote Judge Madge Watai, "we . . . doubt that any discipline less than disbarment can adequately protect the public against future acts of misconduct of the type which respondent has repeatedly committed . . . .

"There is no evidence that (Gadda) is cognizant of the seriousness of his misconduct. Instead, (he) continues to rationalize his conduct by blaming others. He refuses to take responsibility for his conduct."