Matthew Brendan Tuohy

My former attorney, Matthew Tuohy, whom I would NEVER reccomend anyone hire has demonstrated gross professional misconduct, dereliction of duty, and behavior so egregious it has irreparably prejudiced my criminal defense and compromised my ongoing civil litigation. His actions or more accurately, his... complete failure to act warrant not only discipline but permanent disbarment. Timeline of Representation April 26, 2025: I retained Mr. Tuohy, paying him $1,500. May 1, 2025: I provided him with fully drafted motions, subpoenas, evidence preservation demands, and FOIL requests ready to be filed immediately. He filed none. June 18, 2025: I terminated him for nonperformance. June 30, 2025: I formally discharged him on the record in court. He failed to appear at his own discharge, despite being in the courthouse that day. July–August 2025: Despite repeated written demands, he has not refunded the unearned retainer and has not turned over my case file, discovery, or critical property. Specific Failures and Prejudice Nonappearance: He failed to appear at my arraignment and later missed a court date after instructing me not to come, causing a warrant to be issued and become part of my case's record, he had to recall the warrant as it was his error. he shrugged it off like it wasnt a big deal, but i had interactions with police that day and couldve been arrested for his mistake. Neglect of Filings: He ignored all motions, subpoenas, and preservation requests even though they were provided to him fully prepared. 70+ days passed with him doing absolutely nothing didnt even review the materials i sent him or acknowledge when i said i had critical material evidence for both my criminal and civil cases i needed recoveried as they were actively attempting to destroy it Communication Breakdown: He avoided actually reading any of the emails I sent him and online file access records show he NEVER EVEN OPENED the documents I sent him but he pretended like he had. He once placed a missed call but, upon learning who it was when i texted him back, he never responded. Withholding Property & Files: Despite multiple demands, he has refused to return my file, discovery, and personal property—an egregious violation of Rule 1.16(e). Failure to Refund: He has not returned the $1,500 unearned fee, a violation of Rule 1.15(c)(4). Irreparable Prejudice: His inaction deprived me of exculpatory evidence, left me without critical personal property, and prejudiced my ability to continue related civil litigation. Violations of the New York Rules of Professional Conduct (22 NYCRR Part 1200) Rule 1.1 (Competence): Inability or unwillingness to perform even basic tasks. Rule 1.3 (Diligence): Abandoning the case, missing appearances and deadlines. Rule 1.4 (Communication): Failing to keep client informed or respond to inquiries. Rule 1.15(c)(4) (Safekeeping Property): Failure to promptly refund unearned fees. Rule 1.16(e): Failure to return files and property upon termination. Rule 8.4(d): Conduct prejudicial to the administration of justice. Mr. Tuohy’s refusal to act or return my file has left me unable to hire replacement counsel and placed me at risk of judicial sanctions. This conduct is not mere negligence; it reflects malicious indifference and contempt for his professional obligations. His ongoing refusal to refund unearned fees and return my property amounts to theft.

Matt was referred by a family friend when my son got into some trouble. He does not return phone calls and he lies and spins his wheels and tells us things that are incorrect. He doesn’t respond to txts phone calls and as far as I’m concerned he has not nor is doing anything for my son. We are too fa...r in money wise to go elsewhere but be careful about hiring this attorney

I was told I needed a criminal attorney, as you can imagine I was overwhelmed with anxiety. I never had been in such a "situation". I didn't know where to turn or what to do, so I did what most people would do and went online and searched for the best criminal lawyer. A few names came up. I called on...e, (I won't leave her name) she wasn't very personable, she asked me a couple of questions, I told her I didn't have much money and instead of saying something like, "why don't you come in and chat further about your situation and then discuss money", she must've gotten turned off when I told her about my financial situation and told me to call legal aid near me, which left me frantic, assuming I would get the same results from every other attorney, but I decided to try again and I called Matt. He didn't answer his phone but as soon as I hung up I had gotten a text from him stating he was busy and he'd call right back, and he did. He said "Hi I'm Matt Tuohy." I told him my name and he said "What's going on brother?" That alone made me feel like I was talking to a friend or someone I knew already. I proceeded to tell him about my situation, right away he wanted me to send him paperwork that I had received and told me to come see him in his office that same day. We talked some more on the phone, he asked where I was from etc. He put me at ease to say the least, just from that phone call. I went to see him and he told me of my options and/or possible outcomes. We then talked about money and let's just say he worked with me. This is the guy you want in your corner, he really cares and I can't thank him enough. He came, he saw, he conquered.