Tanya Luker

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - A state board has barred a Nashville lawyer from practicing law in Tennessee.

A former client played a part in Thomas Nebel's disbarment.

Tanya Luker was eight months pregnant when her husband died 10 years ago.

Nebel took on her case, but in the end, may have taken his client for most of the settlement she won.

"Yeah, I was taken advantage of. I know I was," she said as she rifled through documents.

She then focused on promissory notes that Nebel signed, promising to repay $150,000 he borrowed from his client.

"You know, he had helped me out and I really admired him. I thought he was a good person and could help other people," she said.

Nebel helped Luker win a wrongful death lawsuit after her first husband died. The money Luker loaned her attorney was the cash proceedings from her settlement.

At first, Nebel made the monthly interest payments.

"A lot of them bounced," she said.

Luker has as many pages of evidence against the lawyer as she got excuses for not getting paid.

"He didn't have the money. It was hard to get a hold of him, to get another promissory note," she said.

Luker wasn't alone.

The state board that regulates lawyers investigated several other loans made by his clients -- loans totaling $725,000.

The Board of Professional Responsibility of the Supreme Court of Tennessee disbarred Nebel.

"Good, good," she said.

"We dispute any findings from that hearing. We dispute Mr. Nebel did anything dishonest or fraudulent," said Nebel's attorney Ben Cantrell.

Cantrell recently sent a letter to Luker saying Nebel would pay her $20,000 a year for the next 10 years to settle his debt. His former client is doubtful.

"If I never get my money back maybe this will stop this from happening to someone else in my situation," Luker said.

The money Luker loaned Nebel was supposed to go to her young son. It was all supposed to be paid back in two years.

One of the biggest points of this disbarment is the fact it's unethical for attorneys to take loans from their clients in the first place.

After five years, Nebel can be reinstated if he completes a long list of conditions including passing the bar again and repaying the $725,000. Nebel's attorney said his client will appeal this ruling to the state chancery court.


http://www.newschannel5.com/Global/story.asp?S=9186255



She's Tough is the song Rick wrote for me you can hear ten of his songs on his myspace at http://www.myspace.com/RickLuker ...Rick Luker is my Husband I had a wrongful death case mentioned in the news story above main reason For me being here on Gone To Soon.