In the Matter of Amber Holly Bunch

Amber Holly Bunch, a Georgia lawyer admitted to the State Bar in 2016, faced disciplinary charges after a formal complaint was filed against her. She admitted that in one case she failed to safeguard a client's $100,000 personal injury settlement, mixed her own money with client funds in her trust account, let the client's balance fall too low, and did not pay the client until years after the settlement. In a second, related matter, she admitted similar record-keeping and fund-safekeeping failures. Rather than fight the charges, Bunch asked to voluntarily surrender her law license, admitting violations of several rules governing client funds and diligence. A Special Master reviewed her admissions and recommended the Supreme Court of Georgia accept the surrender. The court agreed, finding her conduct incompatible with the standards required of Georgia lawyers, and ordered her name removed from the rolls of those authorized to practice law in the state.

The court held that Bunch's admitted violations of multiple trust-account and diligence rules, including commingling funds, failing to safeguard client money, and failing to promptly deliver settlement proceeds, warranted accepting her voluntary surrender of license, which is treated the same as disbarment.

The decision removes a lawyer from practice in Georgia after she admitted repeatedly mishandling client trust funds, protecting future clients from similar harm and reinforcing that Georgia lawyers who mismanage settlement money and neglect cases risk losing their license entirely.

Voluntary surrender of license accepted, tantamount to disbarment

1. The court reviewed Bunch's admitted facts, including that she deposited a $100,000 settlement into her IOLTA account (a special bank account lawyers must use to hold client money) but let the balance fall below what she owed the client and mixed personal funds into the account.
2. It found these admissions established violations of Rule 1.3 (diligence in representing a client) and the trust-account rules in Rule 1.15, which require lawyers to safeguard client funds, keep accurate records, and promptly deliver money owed to clients.
3. The court also found a violation of Rule 3.2, which requires lawyers to make reasonable efforts to move a case forward, because Bunch ignored discovery requests and failed to respond to motions to compel filed against her client.
4. Relying on the Special Master's report, the court concluded that Bunch's conduct, though occurring early in her career, was incompatible with the standards required of Georgia lawyers and justified the most serious sanction available.
5. The court compared the case to prior similar disciplinary matters involving trust account violations and failure to account for or deliver client funds, and found accepting the voluntary surrender consistent with those precedents.

• attorney discipline
• voluntary surrender of license
• trust account violations
• State Bar of Georgia
• client settlement funds