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ST. LOUIS RECORD

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Principals in Kirkwood law firm receive reprimands for professional conduct violations in separate court orders

Discipline

JEFFERSON CITY (St. Louis Record) – Kirkwood attorneys and partners Joe George Harms II and David Charles Salivar were reprimanded following separate Dec. 4 Missouri Supreme Court orders.

The court found Harms and Salivar violated professional conduct rules regarding conflict of interest with current clients, their duties to former clients and disclosures during bar admission and disciplinary matters, according to the separate orders.

The court also required Harms and Salivar to each pay $750 to the credit of the advisory committee fund in addition to all costs in their separate disciplinary matters.  

The court's orders gave no details about the circumstances that lead to the misconduct charges filed against the two attorneys by the Missouri Office of Chief Disciplinary Counsel. Each was represented in their separate disciplinary matters by Clayton attorney Thomas M. Lang.

Harms and Salivar were admitted to the bar in Missouri on Sept. 7, 1974, according to their separate profiles on the Missouri Bar's website.

Harms and Salivar both are principals of Harms & Salivar, a business, commercial real estate and estate planning firm listed on its website as operating on North Taylor Avenue in Kirkwood. In the past decade, the two attorneys have become known for their part in the alleged mishandling of the fortune of the late Amy Ling Chen, widow of Lilly & Co. pharmacologist Dr. Ko Kuei Chen, a Sept. 5, 2014, posting on legalnews.com/detroit said.

Harms and Salivar claimed to have never provided investment advice or information about what might have happened with assets in the Chen fortune, which reportedly melted away largely in investment and tax losses, the posting said. The two also reportedly apologized in discipline documents, saying each "profoundly regrets his violations and is truly remorseful"  for their alleged part in the long-running litigation over the Chen fortune.

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