Six Nevada lawyers disbarred or disciplined

Nevada's high court disbarred two Nevada lawyers and ordered discipline for four more.

Lawrence J. Davidson was disbarred after admitting he engaged in serious misconduct including forgery, falsification of a court order and misappropriation of more than $800,000 in client funds. He practiced in Las Vegas. Herman Herbig was disbarred for misappropriating $810,000 in client funds. There is also a judgment against him for $2 million in punitive damages. He practiced in Northern Nevada.

Las Vegas lawyer David Arsenault was suspended for six months and one day for failing to appear for an appeal hearing, which resulted in dismissal of the appeal and for allowing a non-lawyer to interview a potential client and answer questions about her case and legal rights.

Edward E. Vargas was suspended for violations that occurred in California. California put him on probation for up to three years for permitting non-attorneys to interview clients and sign his name on declarations, pleadings and correspondence without reviewing the documents.

Anthony Ashby and George Ranalli of Las Vegas were both put on probation for a year for mingling their own and client funds in their trust account and using those funds to cover cash flow for their office bills. The money was all paid back within days, but the practice is still a violation.

- Geoff Dornan/Appeal Capitol Bureau