In the Matter of Samuel David Ozburn

Samuel David Ozburn, a Georgia lawyer since 2010, admitted to the State Bar that he mishandled several client matters. In one case, a client hired him to help get guardianship of her grandchildren and paid part of his fee, but he failed to respond to her, never filed the guardianship petition promptly, and ignored the Bar's investigation. In other matters, while serving as closing attorney for two lenders in 16 real estate deals, he falsely told clients and others that he was an authorized agent of a title insurance company and had secured title insurance, then kept client funds that should have gone to the insurer. Ozburn asked the Supreme Court of Georgia for permission to voluntarily surrender his law license rather than face a full disciplinary case, which under the rules counts the same as disbarment. A special master and the State Bar both recommended accepting his request, and the court agreed, removing him from the rolls of lawyers allowed to practice in Georgia.

Because Ozburn admitted violating multiple Georgia Rules of Professional Conduct, including making false statements to clients and engaging in dishonest conduct, and because voluntary surrender of a law license is treated the same as disbarment, the court accepted his petition and removed him from the rolls of Georgia attorneys.

The decision permanently removes a lawyer from practice in Georgia after he admitted deceiving real estate clients about title insurance and mishandling a guardianship case, protecting future clients and reinforcing that dishonesty in real estate closings and unresponsiveness to clients carry serious professional consequences.

Voluntary surrender of license accepted

1. Ozburn admitted violating several Georgia Rules of Professional Conduct, the ethics rules governing lawyers, including failing to keep a client informed (Rule 1.4(a)), charging an unreasonable fee (Rule 1.5), and ignoring the Bar's investigation (Rule 9.3) in a guardianship matter.
2. In a separate set of real estate closings, Ozburn admitted he falsely told clients and others he was an authorized title insurance agent and had secured title insurance, then kept funds meant for the insurer, violating rules against dishonest conduct (Rule 8.4(a)(4)) and false statements to third parties (Rule 4.1(a)).
3. Ozburn petitioned to voluntarily surrender his law license, a step the court's rules treat as equivalent to disbarment, rather than continuing through the disciplinary process.
4. Both the special master overseeing the case and the State Bar recommended accepting the petition, and the court found this outcome consistent with its past decisions in similar attorney discipline cases.
5. The court accepted the petition and ordered Ozburn's name removed from the rolls of those permitted to practice law in Georgia, while reminding him of his ongoing duties as a former lawyer under the Bar rules.

• attorney discipline
• voluntary surrender of license
• title insurance fraud
• real estate closings
• State Bar of Georgia