(Rizzo & Diersen, S.C.)
Attorney Stephen M. Clubb, a partner at Rizzo & Diersen, S.C., has been publicly reprimanded by the Wisconsin Supreme Court for professional misconduct, including failure to act diligently on behalf of a client and misrepresenting the status of a legal case.
Background of the Case
Clubb, who has been practicing law in Wisconsin since 2005, was retained in May 2020 by Jane Doe to enforce her rights as a beneficiary of her late mother’s trust. The administration of the trust became contentious following the deaths of Mary Doe in 2019 and her daughter Susan Doe in 2020, who had been serving as trustee. Another sibling, Emily Doe, declined to assume the trustee role, leaving Jane to take over.
After assuming her role, Jane sought to recover personal property from Emily that she believed belonged to the trust. Clubb initially took steps to assist, including drafting correspondence and discussing potential legal action. However, his handling of the case soon became marked by neglect and misrepresentation.
Failure to File Legal Action
In October 2022, Jane and her sister Anna Doe decided to proceed with a replevin action in Racine County to recover trust property. Clubb prepared draft complaints, which Jane approved for filing. However, despite assurances that he had taken action, Clubb never actually filed the case.
By January 2023, Jane and Anna were growing frustrated with the lack of progress and repeatedly asked Clubb for updates. He did not respond to multiple emails. Then, in February 2023, he falsely informed Anna that a replevin hearing was scheduled for March 7, 2023.
In reality, no such hearing was ever scheduled. Clubb’s misrepresentations continued when he later told Jane that he had attended the hearing, during which Emily allegedly failed to appear. This deception only unraveled when Jane pressed for further updates, and Clubb failed to provide any documentation or results from the supposed court proceeding.
Violation of Professional Conduct Rules
The Wisconsin Supreme Court determined that Clubb violated several key ethical rules:
- SCR 20:1.3 – Failure to act with reasonable diligence by not filing the replevin action as promised.
- SCR 20:8.4(c) – Engaging in dishonesty and misrepresentation by falsely claiming he had filed the case and attended a hearing.
- SCR 20:1.4(a)(4) – Failing to communicate with his client by ignoring multiple inquiries and withholding critical information.
While Clubb had no prior disciplinary history, the court determined that his misconduct warranted a formal public reprimand.
Implications and Reprimand
The public reprimand serves as a warning to Clubb and other attorneys about the importance of diligence, honesty, and proper client communication. While he avoided suspension or disbarment, the reprimand is a permanent mark on his professional record and could impact his credibility in future cases.
The Wisconsin Supreme Court’s decision highlights the necessity for attorneys to uphold the highest ethical standards, particularly when handling sensitive legal matters involving estates and trusts. Clients rely on legal professionals to provide accurate guidance and effective representation—failures like these erode trust in the legal system.
For those affected by similar legal issues, this case underscores the importance of verifying an attorney’s actions and seeking second opinions when concerns arise about case progress.
36 Responses
Ohhhhh there is another from that firm I can confirm and have info to show that did the same!!!!!! With more ……..
I must be super high, this statement makes zero sense to me.
Made sense to me.
did it though? or did you just decipher it to make sense?
translation: I know someone else they did it too as well.
That’s why most people call them liars instead of lawyers. Probably be a politician some day
Nicole Rizzo is another ditz. I’m not sure why anyone would use this law firm.
Agree….she was horrible when I had her as my divorce lawyer. She made comments to me that was unprofessional!
She is so unprofessional, witnessed Nicole mocking her clients behind their backs, talking shit about other attorneys and even made fun of the way Attorney Zamba talked. I assure you, attorney client privilege does not exist here, she will tell everyone about your case. I would never recommend this law firm to anyone.
Did he keep sending invoices for his time spent in court and on the case?
Future mayor?
Lol! But seriously, you’re not wrong. You do have to wonder….
Would rather have a sister in a whorehouse than have a brother as an attorney.
Oh my goodness! I burst into laughter. (2) thumbs up. Best comment I’ve read in a while now. Thank you for the 😃
The two are not mutually exclusive.
I hired Clubb back in 2013 and he did the same to me: kept stalling, never filed paper work, etc. I left and hired another attorney. I never reported him.
Any reason why you can’t report him now? Some kind of statute of limitations I’m not aware of?
I can see it now…Kmiec, Noonan & Clubb LLC ……..
Dewy, Cheatum, Clubb & How, LLP. We want to be your lawyers.
Scumbag lawyer doing scumbag things. Seems legit.
We used Bruno a number of years ago and reported him to the Office of Lawyer Regulations.
Anything come of it?
New Law Firm: Dooey, Cheatam & How
(from the 3 Stooges!)
Everybody’s got something to say about everyone.
Stephen knows law.
He’s a respected attorney.
He was a respected attorney…that ship has sailed.
He was my Lawyer and was excellent! I can’t believe this! I am so sad!
This news is fake. This lawyer is excellent he always treat my wife and me with respect and never charges us.
Probably because he never actually did anything for which to charge.
Is this Stevie Clubb ?
“This news is fake”???? Pretty sure KCE is accurate with its facts about the case.
fake? then why did he get reprimanded?
Shit law firm.
I have used Clubb and he was terrible. Unprofessional, lack f communication, lies and misrepresentation. After a year of foot dragging and BS we finally broke off and found a real attorney. Awful doesn’t describe Clubb and the rest of that scum law firm.
we used Clubb too in a estate matter and he gave us the run around, dragged his feet, lied , wasted our time charged us for work he didn’t do and charged us repeatedly for the same thing. after seeing this we’re thinking of retaining someone to look into him.
Please do, sue that shit law firm
Our family had a Will in place splitting all assets. However, my sister stole everyone’s inheritance. An attorney worked with her the entire time.