The Supreme Court of Georgia ordered the disbarment of attorney Andrea Jo Anne David-Vega in March 2024 after finding she abandoned a client’s personal injury case, allowed the statute of limitations to expire, and then attempted to cover up her misconduct by fabricating text messages and emails.
A Shocking Betrayal of Trust
The legal career of Georgia attorney Andrea Jo Anne David-Vega came to an abrupt end with a severe ruling from the Supreme Court of Georgia (Case No. S24Y0099). The Court rejected a recommendation for a lesser sanction, instead ordering her disbarment for a series of egregious ethical violations that included client neglect and, most alarmingly, the deliberate fabrication of evidence.
The case centered on David-Vega’s representation of a single client, identified as “Milan,” in a personal injury matter. The proceedings highlight a profound breakdown of professional responsibility and honesty.
The Core Violation: Neglect and Lost Opportunity
The initial complaint against David-Vega stemmed from her handling of Milan’s personal injury claim:
- Client Abandonment: David-Vega was found to have neglected the client’s case and failed to act with reasonable diligence.
- Missed Deadline: Critically, she allowed the two-year statute of limitations for the personal injury case to expire without filing a lawsuit. This failure effectively foreclosed the client’s legal remedy, causing potential serious injury to his rights.
- Communication Failure: She failed to keep Milan reasonably informed about the status of his case and did not respond to his requests for information, violating the fundamental duty of attorney-client communication.
The Aggravating Factor: Fabrication of Evidence
The severity of the sanction—disbarment rather than a suspension—was directly tied to David-Vega’s actions after the client filed a grievance and subsequently a malpractice lawsuit against her.
In an effort to avoid liability for professional malpractice, David-Vega engaged in a calculated act of deception:
- Fabricated Evidence: During the disciplinary hearing, David-Vega admitted to fabricating an email and a text message to make it appear as though the client, Milan, had voluntarily terminated her representation before the critical statute of limitations had passed.
- Lying in a Lawsuit: She also made untruthful statements in her answer to the client’s malpractice complaint and provided incomplete, unresponsive, and untruthful answers during the discovery process. For instance, she falsely claimed she had not been named as a party in a civil lawsuit within the past ten years, despite another malpractice suit pending against her.
The Supreme Court determined that this intentional dishonesty and the fabrication of evidence constituted an intolerable breach of the duty of candor.
Conclusion: No Place for Dishonesty
The case of Andrea Jo Anne David-Vega is a definitive statement from the Supreme Court of Georgia: there is no tolerance for an attorney who sacrifices honesty to evade responsibility.
While neglect and lack of diligence are serious, the deliberate attempt to subvert the disciplinary and judicial process by fabricating crucial evidence crosses a red line that necessitates the ultimate sanction. The ruling serves as a powerful reminder that an attorney’s license is contingent not just on competence, but on uncompromised integrity.