Effective June 2, 2022, the Supreme Court of Tennessee permanently disbarred John Terence Tennyson from the practice of law and ordered him to pay restitution to his client in the amount of $10,000.00 and pay all costs incurred to the Board of Professional Responsibility.

After a hearing upon the disciplinary petition, a Hearing Panel determined Mr. Tennyson knowingly and wrongfully retained funds belonging to his client in the amount of $10,000.00 for his own financial benefit, knowingly refused to refund that amount to his client despite a written fee agreement requiring that the funds be immediately refunded, and knowingly deceived his client as to the process whereby she could receive payment of the misappropriated funds, thereby causing harm to his client.

Mr. Tennyson’s actions and omissions violated Rules of Professional Conduct 1.5 (fees), 1.15 (safekeeping property and funds), 1.16 (declining or terminating representation), and 8.4 (misconduct).