Engagement of Princess Theodora of Greece and Matthew Kumar - November 16, 2018

[Lipe]

The disciplinary resolution of the State Bar says: "the absence of harm to clients, and the respondent's good character", he used the client's account (Fidecomiso) to carry out personal transactions or pays. That is, using a bank account that you are not the owner of to carry out personal operations, without appropriating your client's assets, because Matthew entered personal assets to carry out these operations (you read resolution). I agree that there is no harm, and indeed there is bad practice on the part of the lawyer, and for this reason the College suspends him for one year.

This, in my opinion, has no significance to be the cause of the impediment to his wedding, on the contrary, they could take advantage of this moment to get married.

The Royal House has never issued a statement about the date of their wedding, or about their wedding, we have deduced the date from the rumors that come, for example, from the designer of the dress.... We do not know if they are already married or not. They could have gotten married and we not know about it. They might want a wedding in the strictest privacy, like Filippos's first wedding, and that nothing should be revealed to the media. I'm trying to say, we are waiting for a wedding, looking for reasons, for a wedding where, so to speak, we and the press might not even be invited.

 

[Somebody]

Failing to respond to the State Bar's inquiries regarding the disciplinary investigation makes it even more serious. And apparently, his suspension will not automatically be lifted after a year but only if he meets certain requirements. It seems the year of probation started on March 27 or June 29 last year.

The fact that prior to this offense he had been warned multiple times makes it rven more concerning. He is taking on clients with debts but apparently cannot handle money well himself either...

Normally an actual suspension of 90 days is given, however, Matthew received a stayed suspension for 1 year in which he needs to comply with specific requirements.

 

[Lipe]

In Spain, to access the state Bar you need an exam too, it is not enough to have a university title. ...There are two types of suspensions, the temporary ones, due to bad practices, like Matthew, and the very serious ones. , which are total expulsion from the profession. When the suspension period has elapsed, you have to take that exam again.

I reiterate again. A year where he cannot practice as a lawyer, but he can do other procedures that do not require a lawyer's license, for example administrative or creating a business, a company...or taking it as a sabbatical year...Like he decides , which is clear that he cannot carry out laws activities.
This does not have to harm him financially or reputation, in the resolution, it speaks to the fact that Matthew did not cause damage to his client, and , his good conduct Financially, in Spain, lawyers have private insurance that covers these suspension, even, the lawyers' insurance covers his income during the period in which he is suspended. If this is in Spain, I imagine that in the US they will also have private insurance to it, it is county of the insurances.

 

[kalnel]

It appears that something happened in November 2023 that caused his license to be "ordered inactive." This is after the suspension and stay earlier in the year. His current status is "not eligible to practice law in CA."

I wonder if he failed to comply with the requirements in the order staying his suspension or something.

https://apps.calbar.ca.gov/attorney/Licensee/Detail/283521

 

[Adda]

His absence in Tatoi this January makes sense now.
Oh boy.

 

[Lipe]

The suspension resolution is June 29, 2023, if it starts counting then until June 29, 2024, he cannot exercise, therefore it is logical that he put that. In fact, his name is in the State bar, that is, he is a member, but he cannot practice until "June 29 of 2024" and if he passes the exam....

 

[tommy100]

Hmmm yes could be a very good reason why the wedding hasn't been publicly rescheduled. Doing so would probably make it fodder for the media linking a Greek Princess to a "scandal". Much better to let it resolve itself before any big announcement.

It is a long time from engagement but I guess we have to factor Covid and then her father's health into it.

 

[stef]

The wedding of Prince Filippos in 2020 in Switzerland and the wedding in Greece in 2021 were not announced by the Greek Royal House, I remember that we knew that date because the Spanish blog published it, a person close to the designer Celia Kritharioti had told them that the Greek designer had an avalanche of clients, because the son of King Constantine was getting married on October 23, 2021. Nothing was announced about King Constantine's funeral, 2023, nor the time of the funeral, we learned about it from the press but there were no official statements. May of 2020and may 2023 had not communicated about it, we have discovered it indirectly......I do not believe that a one-year suspension from practicing as a lawyer from the California Bar Association has anything to do with Theodora's wedding. This is a professional problem for Matthew. The resolution is June 2023, I do not believe that his wedding was subject to Matthew approving access control to the California Bar Association.When and where Theodora will get married we will know through indirect means. Regarding the suspension of Theodora's wedding, there was also no official statement, it was the designer Celia Kritharioti who said it, since Theodora had called her to tell her.

 

[Somebody]

Theodora herself confirmed the original wedding date in a post in that specific weekend expressing thanks for those reaching out to them on what was supposed to be their wedding day.

 

[kalnel]

The suspension resolution is June 29, 2023, if it starts counting then until June 29, 2024, he cannot exercise, therefore it is logical that he put that. In fact, his name is in the State bar, that is, he is a member, but he cannot practice until "June 29 of 2024" and if he passes the exam....

No, originally they stayed his suspension, so he would have been able to practice on probation. But, something happened in November that got his license pulled.

...I do not believe that a one-year suspension from practicing as a lawyer from the California Bar Association has anything to do with Theodora's wedding. This is a professional problem for Matthew. The resolution is June 2023, I do not believe that his wedding was subject to Matthew approving access control to the California Bar Association.When and where Theodora will get married we will know through indirect means. Regarding the suspension of Theodora's wedding, there was also no official statement, it was the designer Celia Kritharioti who said it, since Theodora had called her to tell her.

In November, his license was pulled. It's not clear if the stay on the suspension was revoked or something else happened, but he is not able to practice now.

 

[Moonmaiden23]

I was always strongly suspicious that one way or another it involved money as the stumbling block....

 

[IRIS1983]

I read in a Spanish blog: Princess Theodora's wedding will be in autumn and in Athens, the source of the blog is an article published by the Greek journalist close to the designer Celia Kritiatori. This journalist is the same one who announced the wedding date of Filippos and Nina.

Matthew's most important exam will be autumn and in Greece.

 

[An Ard Ri]

I wonder if Princess Theodora and Matthew will resettle in Europe?

 

[Moonmaiden23]

I hope so. I would like very much to see Matthew put this mess with the State bar behind him

He seems like a good guy.

 

[kalnel]

I read in a Spanish blog: Princess Theodora's wedding will be in autumn and in Athens, the source of the blog is an article published by the Greek journalist close to the designer Celia Kritiatori. This journalist is the same one who announced the wedding date of Filippos and Nina.

We've heard from sources supposedly close to that designer about this wedding so many times over the years, I don't put much credence in the rumors.

I hope so. I would like very much to see Matthew put this mess with the State bar behind him

He seems like a good guy.

I'd be curious to know what he did that caused the stay on the suspension to be lifted and his license pulled. The behavior noted in the background on his case, including ducking calls and failing to respond to official inquiries in a timely way, doesn't scream "good guy."

 

[Stefanie]

Any news on Theodora ' s weddingdate? It' s already May and still no new developments?

 

[Lipe]

The last thing I've seen published is that it will be at the end of September.

 

[stef]

Not at the end of September, I have read that mid-September. But I recognize that these are rumors, the office of the Greek Royal House has not made any comment.

 

[Lady Daly]

Will Princess Theodora and Matthew Kumar ever get married?

royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com

Excellent read! Marlene Eilers Koenig's Royal Musings blogspot indicates Mr Kumar was found guilty of multiple violations related to his handling of client trust (CTA) account funds. He allegedly commingled personal and law funds in the CTA, using the funds to pay personal expenses. He also failed to respond to the State Bar's inquiries regarding the disciplinary investigation. These details and more have also been mentioned on this thread. I don't think this reflects well on Mr Kumar.

Regarding official wedding announcements, Princess Theodora nor the family have made any recently, have they?

 

[Biri]

According to this article wedding will take place this autumn.

 

[Lady Daly]

According to this article wedding will take place this autumn.

Yes Biri, that is my understanding as well; yet only speculations by the press and others such as designer Celia Kritiatori. Princess Theodora nor the Greek Family haven't actually made an official wedding announcement. We shall wait and see.

 

[Biri]

And Matthew was reinstated to the California Bar on 1 March.

 

[Somebody]

Looks like he is still in trouble. They opened a case in April because he is not meeting his probation requirements. A Zoom viedo conference on this matter was initially scheduled for May 28.

The state bar's representative asked for consolidation between this case and the previous case, so that one is also still open, meaning that (additional) disciplinary actions might be taken. Matthew so far was a no show on two pre-trial online meetings (May 6 and May 13, a nother one is scheduled for May 28).

He did however meet for the Voluntary Settlement Conference related to the earlier case and made promises to respond to various matters.

The trial itself is scheduled to start on June 4. However, Matthew failed to comply with the court's requests to provide information. Because of this, he is again facing disciplinary action. On May 16, he finally sent in someting, however, that eas rejected by the court both based on procedural issues (among others, wrong dates and names as well as content-related; the argument about not being required to follow an ethics course doesn't fly). He has 15 days to resubmit.

See: State Bar Court Portal

 

[hereditarytitles]

The problems with Matthew's profession as a lawyer came up last year, if I remember it correctly. After 5 or 6 years of being engaged I cannot imagine that this would be a new reason for not getting married. Ok, there was Covid, then the death of her father. But, really, other people did marry in spite of it, her brother Philippos, Beatrice and Edo. Why do they wait? Do they want a really big society wedding where everybody can take part? Something is very strange to me in that story, maybe they decided to just live together and don't want to make it public?

 

[stef]

The date of Princess Theodora's wedding, which would be celebrated in the year 2024 at autumn, was published in the Greek press in October last year, the origin of the information being people close to the designer of the wedding dress.

Currently, the date is maintained, although the exact date is unknown, it is said to be September. It is obvious that Matthew's professional problems have not changed the couple's intentions about getting married at all.

Regarding Matthew's professional problems, it could also happen that Matthew after getting married does not want to continue living in California and they have decided to start a new life somewhere else. It is possible that Matthew was indifferent to regaining his license to practice in California.

Theodora and Matthew have been in Greece from the end of April until almost mid-May.

 

[Somebody]

I've been looking into his case a bit more and if I understand correctly, he was first put on probation but his license was not suspended because it was his first offense and the client wasn't harmed - but he had to meet certain requirements. He did not meet those requirements (among other things submitting a quarterly report and completing both the State Bar Ethics School as well as the State Bar Client Trust Accounting School and passing both tests; an additional (uncommon) requirement is that he also needs to complete the e-learning course entitled "California Rules of Professional Conduct and State Bar Act Overview).

The pattern of not responding to requests and making promises that he doesn't deliver on has been set from the very start (as in: starting when the first signs of misconduct were identified in September 2022 - the problematic financial transfers took place between January and July of that same year). This was seen as a aggravation as it shows failure to Cooperate with the State Bar.

So, while the initial offense was problematic, it seems the way he is dealing with it (non-compliance and non-communication), is creating the mess he is in. Had he complied with the State Bar, his year of probation would have been over by now and he would have been allowed to practice during that time period.

In addition, there were additional commingling cases in 2023! So, he even continued the behavior he was disciplined for... which in technical terms means, he continued to violate Rules of Professional Conduct, rule 1.15(c). This (in combination with again complete silence on his end) seems to have been what caused him to be temporarily suspended per 11 November 2023. Only in February of this year, he seemed to have been in touch to avoid being completely disbarred without trial (the basis would have been his non-response and therefore acceptance of all the presented evidence).

His reason for the lack of communication (which as I noticed before, was a pattern started in 2022, not in 2023, and which created a third case only last month) was that he had an accident in August of last year... He refers to a 'family function' on August 24 in Berleburg (so, at his fiancée's aunt's/cousin's place). The next day he had an accident requiring hospitalization for 4 weeks. He claims that in the following months he had very limited access to his email 'as not to hinder my recuperation'.

He returned to LA only in December (so, almost 4 months later!) and says that only than (after 19 December, his first day in office) he became 'fully aware' of the 'default' (read: suspension). He states that "As of January 2024, my mental capacity in dealing with the termination of clients, loss of income, and all the effects of no longer being able to practice law as a way of living left me completely incapacitated. I was unable to grapple with the facts of my present situation." Only on February 12 he had a conversation with the Supervising Attorney and filed the motion to set aside the default a week later.

The state bar specifically states that the strongly prefer to resolve issues on matters (instead of technicalities like non-response I presume), -therefore- they do not oppose the lifting of the default/suspension but they do mention that Matthew did not provide a reasonable explanation for his delay in contacting the state bar between Dec 19 and Feb 12 - and only did reach out after the state bar had made several attempts again to reach him because of the Feb 11 deadline (if he did not respond by that day, the process for disbarment would be set into motion).

So, in the first week of June the trial will take place in which the issues will be discussed based on merit.

N.B. I was trying to find out what the 'family function' might have been. The christening of Gustav Albrecht took place on the 26th, not on the 24th. Princess Theodora was present as godmother, Matthew wasn't pictured. If he was seriously injured the day before, that must have put a damper on the day of the baptism.

 

[Lady Daly]

I hope Matthew Kumar has a good attorney! Of interest, I don't know if it has been mentioned but Matthew practices debt collection and owns a debt collection agency.

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I do feel badly for Princess Theodora. First the passing of her beloved father King Constantine and now this. Plenty of reasons to hold off with the wedding!