A Fargo attorney whose license was suspended for six months by the state of North Dakota is licensed to practice law in Minnesota and lists an office in Detroit Lakes.
Jesse Matson’s license was suspended by the Disciplinary Board of the North Dakota Supreme Court for mishandling several divorce and family law cases, not setting client retainers aside in a trust fund, and failing to refund money to clients.
He lists an office at an address on West Willow Street in Detroit Lakes, but no such address appears to exist and his office could not be found by a reporter. He did not respond to a message left on his cell phone.
In one case cited by the North Dakota Disciplinary Board, a client paid Matson a $2,000 retainer to represent her in a child support modification matter at a rate of $200 per hour.
The retainer was deposited into Matson’s operating account, not a trust account as required.
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Matson failed to communicate with the client and failed to provide copies of documents drafted on her behalf.
Because of the lack of progress, the client got another lawyer and paid another retainer fee.
Matson provided no work product that could be used by the new counsel. Despite several requests, Matson never sent the client an itemized billing or accounting, and Matson never refunded any money.
The client attempted to arbitrate her fee issue, but Matson did not respond to her request.
In another case, a client paid Matson a $4,000 retainer to represent him in a divorce action at a rate of $200 per hour.
Again, the retainer was deposited into Matson’s operating account, not a trust account. Neither Matson nor his law firm even had a trust account.
Matson took approximately two months to prepare the summons and complaint, and the delay resulted in complications for service on the spouse.
Matson took another four months to prepare interim documents and discovery, then failed to file any of the divorce documents with the district court.
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His work on the documents was sloppy and showed a lack of legal knowledge and skill.
Matson did not properly communicate with the client or let him know what was going on with the case.
The client got a new lawyer and Matson failed to provide a copy of his file upon request.
Based on the accounting provided to the client’s new counsel, Matson charged an unreasonable fee which included charges for overhead items.
Again, Matson failed to refund money that was owed to the client.
Matson even failed to pay what he owed to the state disciplinary panel: He was reprimanded by a hearing panel of the disciplinary board on April 30, 2014. He was ordered to pay $4,485.43 in costs and expenses, but he failed to pay that amount or make arrangements to pay it.
In addition to the six-month and one-day suspension, the Disciplinary Board required Matson to take a continuing legal education course on the rules of professional conduct before his license will be reinstated.
And it ordered Matson to pay the $6,287.52 cost of his disciplinary proceedings as well as the $4,485.43 owed from the previous disciplinary action.
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Matson is a graduate of William Mitchell College of Law, Concordia College and Moorhead High School. He was granted a license to practice law in Minnesota on Oct. 31, 2008, in St. Paul.
His six-month suspension in North Dakota went into effect Sept. 15.
