An attorney who fabricated legal documents and admitted he was "addicted to lying" has received a nine-month suspension from the Appellate Division, First Department. Nathaniel Weisel of Manhattan was suspended yesterday, ordered to take the ethics portion of the bar exam and "appropriately address his pathological behavior" prior to his reinstatement.
In September 2009, a client of Weisel asked him to start a civil action, which he did not do. To assure the client the matter was being addressed, Weisel created a fraudulent settlement agreement, fictional index number, caption and settlement amount. He randomly chose an opposing counsel and forged his signature on the document. The fabrication was not filed in court. Before the client discovered the settlement had been fabricated, Weisel filed a valid Small Claims action. After the purportedly opposing counsel learned his signature had been forged, Weisel wrote him an apology and said he acted to give himself more time to properly file the action.
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