15-Jan-18 – Too many traffic tickets in a car co-owned by a client has led to formal reprimand of a lawyer in the Loop.

Steven Mora needed a car and made a deal with a client he was representing in a legal malpractice matter to get better financing terms. According to the Attorney Registration & Disciplinary Commission, Mora sold his old car to the client for its trade-in value. But in return, the client, who had a better credit rating, co-signed the loan agreement for Mora to get a newer car from a used car dealership.

Driving the newer car, with the client registered as its co-owner, Mora, says the ARDC, “incurred various traffic tickets and late payments” that resulted in a court judgment against the client.

Mora, whose office is on West Madison Street, was licensed to practice law in Illinois in 1968.

The ARDC, which is an agency of the Supreme Court of Illinois, also announced the disbarment of an attorney in the Loop. Rajesh Kanuru (left), licensed since 2005, was accused of misappropriating at least $700,000 belonging to multiple clients.

Kanuru is also accused of telling an attorney with whom he shared office space at 105 West Adams Street that he had paid her share of the rent, convincing her to “reimburse” him in the amount of $5,400. In reality, says the ARDC, Kanuru had not paid her rent.