Troy law yer with history of misconduct disbarred

Ackerman disciplined by board on 11 separate occasions since 2002

A state cour t disba r red a loca l law yer on Thursday, ending his lega l ca reer in t he st ate a f ter deter mining he did not cooperate wit h a st ate investigation of complaints by clients who sa id he neg lected t heir cases.

The Appellate Div ision of state Supreme Cour t noted Philip G. Ackerman was fra nk when he ack nowledged his fa ilure to cooperate wit h t he cour t ’s Attor ney Grieva nce Committee investigation. The justices wrote Ackerman admitted he “did not create or keep adequate f iles on t he cases being investigated.”

Ackerman, who had a law of f ice in Troy, was suspended over t he matter last yea r. Reached Thursday morning , Ackerman declined to comment.

His formal disba rment was fast-tracked in June when, for more than a month, he fa iled to ack nowledge the committee’s demand for documents.

Ackerman was admitted to practice law in 1993, according to t he cour t papers. The cour t sa id he has of f ices in Troy a nd Rensselaer.

In last yea r ’s decision to suspend Ackerman, the justices noted Ackerman “has a n ex tensive histor y wit h (t he g r ieva nce committee) hav ing received some measure of pr ivate discipline on 11 sepa rate occasions since 2002.”

Many of t he sa nctions relate to a lack of cooperation wit h committee in its investigation of his conduct, including eig ht sepa rate warnings in 2017 t hat cite, a mong ot her misconduct, his fa i lu re to adequately respond to t he committee notices a nd/or subpoenas.

The appel late div ision sa id t hat since Acker man’s suspension la st yea r, t wo new compla i nt s f rom cl ient s su r faced a nd Acker man declined to respond to t he committee’s ef for t to i nvestigate t hose a llegat ions.