Brian Colombana Attorney at Law

Agency: California State Bar
Description: On June 18, 2010, Brian Colombana was placed on involuntary inactive enrollment by the California State Bar Association. State Bar Court Judge Richard Honn said in his June 17 ruling that the conduct of Mr. Colombana, “poses a substantial threat of harm to his clients or the public.” The Judge cited 13 declarations against Mr. Colombana by clients from California, South Carolina, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, Maryland, Utah and New York who paid upfront fees to one of the loan modification companies with which Colombana was affiliated, including Loan Negotiators of America, Housing Law Center and Mortgage Relief Law Center. The Court found that in most cases, clients never even met the attorney, but dealt with non-attorney representatives of the loan modification companies. Through these companies, Colombana convinced numerous cash-strapped homeowners to pay him thousands of dollars in hopes of saving their homes from foreclosure. According to the Courts’ findings, many of these homeowners were worse off after retaining respondent’s services. The Judge noted that many of the homeowners were current with their mortgages but then were advised by Colombana’s affiliates to stop paying. According to the Order, the consumers soon fell behind, were facing foreclosure and received little or no help from Mr. Colombana. In ordering involuntary inactive enrollment, the Judge ruled that Colombana continues to harm clients by failing to refund unearned fees or communicate with them, and demonstrates a pattern of behavior likely to continue to cause substantial harm.




Date of Action: 6/18/2010