County-exec candidate Lippmann was disbarred for misconduct

Stan Lippmann, candidate for King County executive, was disbarred by the state Supreme Court last October for financial misconduct in his legal practice.

In an earlier agreement with the Washington State Bar Association, Lippmann did not contest his disbarment and stipulated to professional-conduct violations between 2005 and 2008, including:

• Using substantial parts of $31,350 in client fees for his own use before earning the fees;

• Disbursing $1,100 from his trust account before waiting for a client's two postdated checks to clear;

• Depositing $5,000 into his general business account instead of a trust account;

• Obtaining an unsecured, interest-free $10,000 loan from a client with no set date for repayment;

• Obtaining a $2,000 interest-free loan from another client without written documentation; and

• Attempting to collect $42,383 from a client he had represented on a contingency basis after withdrawing from the case because of a grievance filed against him by the client.

The stipulation agreement said Lippmann's actions put clients' funds at risk but did not indicate that any clients lost any money. Lippmann billed the contingent-fee client under a "mistaken belief" he was entitled to the money, according to the agreement.

Between 1999 and 2007, Lippmann ran unsuccessfully for at least eight public offices, including Seattle City Council, Seattle Monorail Project board, U.S. House of Representatives and state attorney general.

He could not be reached for comment Friday afternoon.

Keith Ervin: 206-464-2105 or kervin@seattletimes.com