The Missouri Supreme Court indefinitely suspended Zurich Insurance Co.’s former chief trial attorney, Paul Eric Petruska, after he initiated a settlement without the authority and attempted to enforce the agreement under the radar.
In a 6-1 ruling, the court suspended Petruska indefinitely with no leave to apply for reinstatement for three years after he offered opposing counsel a $120,000 injury crash settlement despite lacking the authority or permission to do so. The high court majority agreed with the Office of Chief Disciplinary Counsel’s finding that Petruska violated five Rules of Professional Conduct and that his actions, absent the mitigating factors, warranted disbarment. The majority, however, said the mitigating factors outweighed the aggravating factors and found that disbarment wasn’t warranted for Petruska.