Attorney complaint filed

Lawyer committee asked
to review Coffey’s conduct

A written complaint has now been filed with the Committee on Professional Standards against Albany attorney Stephen Coffey over his “review” of my pending case against Samaritan Hospital.

As was reported here last year, Coffey contacted me in August 2006 offering to take a look at the case – which his firm had previously declined – with a view to representing me. But, as was later alleged in my lawsuit against him, he and his associate, Brendan Tully then acted at best with a total disregard for the interests of a potential client, and at worst, made an ongoing, callous and deliberate attempt to get the case dismissed, with Tully at one point advising me - just a few hours before the deadline - not to oppose an attempt by the hospital’s attorneys to have the lawsuit thrown out for failure to proceed.

My case against Coffey was later dismissed, not because the court did not believe the allegations, but because even the outrageous conduct described in the lawsuit is not a basis under the law for a claim for damages.

The results of the committee’s investigations are kept secret, which does nothing to improve the reputation of the legal profession. However, it is likely that Coffey and Tully will now have to respond to the detailed allegations in my complaint.

--David Baker