Court disbars Norcross lawyer
The Georgia Supreme Court has disbarred Norcross lawyer Anthony O'Dell Lakes for neglecting his clients and failing to return money he had collected on their behalf.
The court said Lakes once represented clients who sold their ownership in a restaurant for $224,000. When the buyer defaulted, Lakes began collecting the unpaid balance and by the fall of 2008 his clients had received all but $22,000, the court said.
In 2009, Lakes collected another $16,000, but instead commingled the money with his own and then converted it to his own use, the court said.
About the Author
Bill Rankin has been an AJC reporter for more than 30 years. His father, Jim Rankin, worked as an editor for the newspaper for 26 years, retiring in 1986. Bill has primarily covered the state’s court system, doing all he can do to keep the scales of justice on an even keel. Since 2015, he has been the host of the newspaper’s Breakdown podcast.
