People v. Baumberger.
No. 25PDJ67. 6/11/2026. Stipulation to Discipline.
July 14, 2026
The Presiding Disciplinary Judge approved the parties’ revised stipulation to discipline and suspended Robert Dennis Baumberger (attorney registration number 40171) for six months, all to be stayed upon Baumberger’s successful completion of a two-year period of probation, with conditions. Baumberger’s probation took effect on June 11, 2026.
In December 2020, a client hired Baumberger on a contingency fee basis to pursue her claim against another driver in relation to a vehicle accident. During the representation, Baumberger did not diligently respond to requests for information from the client’s insurer and did not send a demand letter to the insurer.
Beginning in September 2022 and continuing throughout the representation, Baumberger repeatedly knowingly failed to respond to his client’s messages, including her inquiries about her case’s status and her requests to schedule a time to discuss her case.
In November 2023, Baumberger filed his client’s complaint. But he never effectuated service on the other driver, and the trial court issued orders in February 2024 and June 2024 warning that the case would be dismissed. Meanwhile, Baumberger did not inform his client until May 2024 that he had filed the complaint, when she texted him to express her concern that the statute of limitations on her claim would lapse and to inform him that she had consulted with another lawyer.
The client obtained new counsel, who asked Baumberger to sign and return a substitution of counsel in the case. Baumberger signed and mailed the form but did not follow up with new counsel to ensure he had received the form. Nor did Baumberger move to withdraw from the case. In addition, Baumberger did not provide his client’s file despite new counsel’s request that he do so. Though Baumberger had previously sent the file to the client, he never verified that the client received the file.
Through the conduct described above, Baumberger violated Colo. RPC 1.3 (a lawyer must act with reasonable diligence and promptness when representing a client); Colo. RPC 1.4(a)(3) (a lawyer must keep a client reasonably informed about the status of the matter); and Colo. RPC 1.16(d) (a lawyer must protect a client’s interests upon termination of the representation, including by returning any papers or property to which the client is entitled).