The Supreme Court of Georgia has imposed a six-month suspension on attorney Christopher Ryan Breault for multiple professional misconduct violations stemming from his aggressive litigation tactics and subsequent handling of client information in a personal injury case. The March 2025 decision concluded a lengthy disciplinary review, highlighting the critical importance of client confidentiality and respectful courtroom conduct.
The Conduct: Disclosures and Disruptions
The case originated from Breault’s representation of clients in a federal personal injury lawsuit. The disciplinary charges arose from a series of escalating actions by Breault during the preparation for trial in 2017:
- Threatening Behavior: Breault engaged in a tense phone call with a treating physician’s office manager, threatening to subpoena the physician for trial after a meeting suggested the doctor was skeptical of a key claim (traumatic brain injury).
- Unauthorized Disclosure of Secrets (Rule 1.6(a)): In response to a motion to revoke his admission to the federal court, Breault filed a public document that included a confidential audio recording and transcript of a privileged internal meeting with the client’s medical team. He later admitted the disclosure was an attempt to make opposing counsel look like “a disingenuous a**hole,” an act the federal court specifically found was “damaging to the Clients’ case.”
- Failure to Timely Withdraw (Rule 1.16(a)(3)): After the clients fired Breault via a hand-delivered letter, he visited their home uninvited, questioned the competence of their remaining counsel, and delayed filing his withdrawal paperwork for two months. This delay resulted in the further public disclosure of sensitive information regarding a financial disagreement with co-counsel.
- Disrupting the Tribunal (Rule 3.5(d)): His conduct, particularly the disclosure of the confidential work product, was found to have been intended to obstruct and disrupt the legal proceedings.
The Judicial Review: A Multi-Stage Process
The disciplinary process for Christopher Ryan Breault was unusually complex:
- Federal Court Action: The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia initially found Breault had violated several ethical rules, revoking his temporary admission to the court and referring the matter to the State Bar.
- State Bar Proceedings: A Special Master initially recommended a one-month suspension, but the Supreme Court of Georgia rejected this, remanding the case for a more thorough analysis under the American Bar Association Standards for Imposing Lawyer Sanctions (ABA Standards).
- Final Decision: After the remanded review, a new Special Master recommended a one-year suspension. Upon final review, the Supreme Court of Georgia issued a more measured sanction of a six-month suspension without conditions for reinstatement, effective immediately.
The Court acknowledged that the maximum penalty for violations of Rules 1.1 (Competence) and 1.6 (Confidentiality) is disbarment. However, after careful consideration of all factors, including Breault’s deliberate intent, the harm caused to the clients, and the multiple rules violated, the six-month suspension was deemed the appropriate sanction to maintain the integrity of the profession.
Conclusion: A Warning Against Self-Interest
The suspension of Christopher Ryan Breault serves as a direct warning that an attorney’s personal disputes, aggressive tactics, or attempts at vindication must never come at the expense of client confidentiality or the integrity of the legal process. When an attorney’s self-interest leads to the deliberate disclosure of protected client information, sanctions will be swift and significant.
Attorney Breault must now cease practicing law for six months, underscoring the serious nature of prioritizing one’s own agenda over the fundamental ethical duties owed to the client.