Background
Who Is Bernard Grimm?
Bernard "Bernie" Grimm was one of Washington DC's most prominent criminal defense attorneys. Admitted to the DC Bar in 1984, he tried over 200 jury trials, including the high-profile acquittal in the Robert Wone murder conspiracy case (2010). He was a frequent legal commentator on Fox News, CNN, and Court TV.
Grimm was a shareholder at Cozen O'Connor (2007–2012) before establishing his own practice, the Law Office of Bernard Grimm. He held himself out as one of the most experienced trial lawyers in the District.
Behind this public persona, however, his office was in crisis. His employee Katherine Ross embezzled approximately $725,000 from client trust accounts between 2016 and 2020 through forged checks. Grimm's failure to maintain proper records allowed this theft to go undetected for four years.
"I had intended to leave the legal profession two years ago... I had never encountered the disciplinary board before."
— Bernard Grimm, as quoted by ReutersChronology
Disbarment Timeline
The path from embezzlement to disbarment. Use the scrubber to filter by year.
Collusion
Betrayal of Attorney-Client Privilege
Disclosure to Prosecution
In the Keerikkattil case, Bernard Grimm disclosed privileged attorney-client communications directly to AUSA John Giovannelli. This communication — admitted as Government Exhibit 8 at trial — became a centerpiece of the prosecution's case.
The trial court found that the crime-fraud exception did not apply to this privileged communication. Despite this ruling, the prosecution was allowed to use the communication at trial under a contested waiver theory — a theory that the defense argues was itself the product of the government's own prior improper disclosure.
Grimm's actions effectively made him a "silent witness" for the prosecution while nominally serving as defense counsel. This constitutes a per se Sixth Amendment violation under Shillinger v. Haworth, 70 F.3d 1132 (10th Cir. 1995), where prejudice is presumed when counsel colludes with the government.
"On consideration of the affidavit of Bernard Grimm, wherein he consents to disbarment from the Bar of this Court... it is ORDERED that Bernard Grimm be, and he hereby is, disbarred."
— DC Court of Appeals, In re Grimm, No. 21-BG-313 (June 17, 2021)Media Coverage
Grimm in the Press
Grimm's disbarment was widely covered by national legal media. Reuters confirmed his statement about intending to leave the profession. The ABA Journal documented his subsequent lawsuit against PNC Bank. Neither publication noted the breach of attorney-client privilege in the Keerikkattil case — a fact documented only in the appellate brief.
Financial Misconduct
The Numbers Behind the Disbarment
Source: DC Bar Disciplinary Records | Appellant's Brief
Key Terms
Bernard Grimm: At a Glance
Evidence