A business and real estate lawyer has been publicly censured after failing to maintain a master escrow account ledger at his law firm since its 2007 inception, a deficiency that apparently helped lead to a temporary misappropriation of client funds and a $99,136 account shortfall, according to an appellate court disciplinary decision.

The shortfall, though, did not deprive any clients of funds, or cause a delay in clients receiving funds, according to the Appellate Division, First Department opinion, which recited facts stipulated to by both the censured lawyer, Ilya Novofastovsky, and the First Department attorney grievance committee.