Disbanded from practicing law for six months.
Monrovia, Liberia – Cllr. Samuel S. Pearson has been prohibited from practicing law, either directly or indirectly, by the Supreme Court of Liberia for six months for conspiring with his brother, Mr. James Pearson, the late Madam Maime Hayford Pearson’s husband, to deny Mr. Ballah Yargbo his rightful inheritance as the only surviving heir of his late mother, Madam Maime Hayford Pearson.
After Cllr. Pearson was suspended, the High Court ordered the Clerk to notify the parties, all courts, and the Liberian National Bar Association (LNBA) about the suspension.
In its decision on Tuesday, February 18, 2025, the Supreme Court declared that “Counsellor Samuel S. Pearson’s relationship to the decedent’s spouse, his role in obtaining letters of administration in exclusion of the decedent’s son, and his benefit from the decedent’s bank account proceeds constitute conflict of interest and undue influence, and therefore unethical.”
The decision further states that Counselor Samuel S. Pearson will be suspended from practicing law for a term of six (6) months, either directly or indirectly, in accordance with the findings and commendations of the Grievance and Ethics Committee (GEC), with modifications. The clerk of this court is required to notify the Liberian National Bar Association (LNBA), all courts, and the parties of this judgment. “AND IT HAS BEEN ORDERED HERE.”
The Grievance & Ethics Committee was directed by Chief Justice Sie-A-Nyene G. Yuoh on August 14, 2024, to look into claims of ethical misconduct against Cllr. Pearson and report back to the Supreme Court with its findings. As a result, on September 25, 2024, Yargbo informed the Grievance & Ethics Committee that his mother, who died on March 22, 2022, possessed substantial personal assets and real estate.
He claims that she (deceased) co-founded a number of companies, including a factory that produces water, and held a 50% stake in three other companies with her husband, Mr. James Pearson, a former Director of the National Security Agency (NSA) and current Ambassador at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
According to Yargbo’s complaint, Mr. James Pearson and Cllr. Samuel Pearson plotted to deny him his inheritance after his mother passed away. He also claimed that Cllr. Pearson, who served as the deceased’s brother-in-law and legal representative, gave false testimony in probate court by posing as Madam Pearson’s nephew while her body was in the mortuary awaiting burial.
Additionally, he claimed that Cllr. Pearson, who served as her attorney and brother-in-law throughout her lifetime, illegally took more than US$140,000 from Madam Pearson’s UBA and LBDI accounts and improperly obtained a letter of administration over her estate.
The LNBA’s Grievance & Ethics Committee had earlier looked into the Yargbo allegation in October 2023, concluding that Cllr. Samuel Pearson was responsible for an ethical violation and was advised to serve a 12-month ban.
Reported by: Prince Saah
Contact: +231778239813
Email: saahprince119@gmail.com
