People v. Edminister.
No. 25PDJ75. 11/21/2025. Stipulation to Discipline.
December 12, 2025
The Presiding Disciplinary Judge approved the parties’ stipulation to discipline and suspended Michael E. Edminister (attorney registration number 49808) for six months, all to be stayed upon Edminister’s successful completion of a two-year period of probation, with conditions. The probation was effective on December 26, 2025.
In late December 2022, Edminister failed to produce initial disclosures in his client’s personal injury matter. He also failed to comply with the requirement to participate in mediation in the case and cancelled the mediation on the date it was scheduled to take place. Though Edminister asserts he had difficulty communicating with and getting information from his client about the disclosures, he has not shown evidence of his efforts to contact the client between November 2022 and February 2023.
The court eventually dismissed the case for failure to prosecute. Edminister assured his client that he would refile the complaint so the client could obtain new counsel. In June 2023, Edminister refiled the matter but took no steps to prosecute the case or to withdraw from the matter. The following June, the court entered an order to show cause why the case should not be dismissed. Edminister received the order but took no action in response to the order.
At some point in 2024, another lawyer entered the case on the client’s behalf. Between January and March 2024, the lawyer contacted Edminister multiple times to request the client’s file. But Edminister did not deliver the entirety of the file until late September 2025.
Meanwhile, Edminister offered his client $4,000 to settle claims between them. Edminister did not advise the client in writing to seek independent legal advice about the settlement. Edminister did not pay the $4,000.
Through the conduct described above, Edminister violated Colo. RPC 1.3 (a lawyer must act with reasonable diligence and promptness when representing a client); Colo. RPC 1.4 (a lawyer must reasonably communicate with a client, including by keeping the client reasonably informed about the status of the matter); Colo. RPC 1.16(d) (a lawyer must protect a client’s interests upon termination of the representation, including by returning any papers and property to which the client is entitled); and Colo. RPC 8.4(a) (it is professional misconduct for a lawyer to violate or attempt to violate the Rules of Professional Conduct or knowingly induce others to do so), by way of Colo. RPC 1.8(h)(2) (a lawyer must not settle a claim or potential claim for malpractice liability with an unrepresented client or former client without advising that person in writing of the desirability of seeking the advice of independent legal counsel and giving the person the reasonable opportunity to do so).