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Date Posted: July 25, 2010 Action Line Complaint: Leo Becerra, Jr. Category: Lawyers
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Address
6780 Coral Way
Miami
Florida, County: Miami/ Dade
 Phone Number Unavailble
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Overview
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| Suspended until further order, following a May 26 court order. (Admitted to practice: 1999) According to a petition for emergency suspension, there was clear, convincing evidence that Becerra misappropriated and/or diverted client funds. (Case No. SC10-947)
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Date Posted: July 25, 2010 Action Line Complaint: Donald Joseph Thomas Category: Lawyers
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Address
445 E. Palmetto Park Road
Boca Raton
Florida, County: Palm Beach
Phone Number Unavailble
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Overview
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| Suspended until further order, following an April 20 court order. (Admitted to practice: 1990) According to a petition for emergency suspension, Thomas appeared to be causing great public harm by misappropriating trust funds or property. (Case No. SC10-708) |
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Date Posted: July 25, 2010 Action Line Complaint: W. Ben Stewart Category: Lawyers
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Address
4909 Manatee Ave. W.
Bradenton
Florida, County: Manatee
Phone Number Unavailble
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Overview
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| Disbarred effective immediately, following a March 25 court order. (Admitted to practice: 2003) While employed by a Pennsylvania law firm to work as an office manager and closing agent for a title company in Sarasota, Stewart was responsible for funds held in connection with real estate closings. Stewart disbursed money for his personal use and he commingled third-party funds entrusted to him in his personal bank account in order to obtain the interest payments before returning the principal. (Case No. SC10-201) |
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Date Posted: July 25, 2010 Action Line Complaint: Deborah K. Rice Category: Lawyers
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Address
7445 N.W. 75th Drive
Parkland
Florida, County: Broward
Phone Number Unavailble
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Overview
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| Disbarred effective retroactive to Jan. 11, following an April 29 court order. (Admitted to practice: 1984) Rice was indicted in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, along with her co-defendants, for participating in an extensive fraud scheme. (Case No. SC10-25) |
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Date Posted: July 25, 2010 Action Line Complaint: William Rodger Mitchell Category: Lawyers
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Address
P.O. Box 30056
Pensacola
Florida, County: Escambia
Phone Number Unavailble
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Overview
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| Publicly reprimanded following a March 25 court order. Further, Mitchell is placed on probation for two years. (Admitted to practice: 1991) In one disciplinary case, Mitchell failed to diligently represent and communicate with a client, and failed to respond to The Florida Bar. In a second disciplinary case, Mitchell also failed to respond to The Florida Bar. (Case No. SC09-1445) |
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Date Posted: July 25, 2010 Action Line Complaint: Douglas Liddell Kirkland Category: Lawyers
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Address
203 N.E. 8th Ave.
Ocala
Florida, County: Marion
Phone Number Unavailble
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Overview
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| Suspended until further order, following an April 20 court order. (Admitted to practice: 1993) According to a petition for emergency suspension, Kirkland appeared to be causing great public harm by misappropriating assets from his attorney trust account. (Case No. SC10-711) |
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Date Posted: July 25, 2010 Action Line Complaint: Jay Katz Category: Lawyers
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Address
1300 N. Market Street, Suite 303
Wilmington
Delaware/ Florida, County: unavailable
Phone Number Unavailble
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Overview
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| Suspended for 90 days, effective May 4, following an April 29 court order. (Admitted to practice: 1989) This was a reciprocal discipline case originating in Delaware. Katz violated federal law; failed to follow proper procedures in closing loans; and failed to obtain informed consent from his clients where a conflict existed for four clients. (Case No. SC10-70) |
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Date Posted: July 25, 2010 Action Line Complaint: Robin Ann Hellman Category: Lawyers
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Address
12000 N.E. 8th Ave.
Miami
Florida, County: Miami/ Dade
Phone Number Unavailble
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Overview
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| Suspended until further order, following an April 14 court order. (Admitted to practice:1998) According to a petition for emergency suspension, Hellman appeared to be causing great public harm by misappropriating client funds. (Case No. SC10-644) |
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Date Posted: July 25, 2010 Action Line Complaint: Joseph Sailor Garwood Category: Lawyers
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Address
3232 Albert Drive
Tallahassee
Florida, County: Leon
Phone Number Unavailble
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Overview
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| Disbarred effective retroactive to his June 2008 suspension, following a May 6 court order. (Admitted to practice: 1991) Garwood was found guilty in court of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, a third-degree felony, battery and resisting an officer without violence. He was sentenced to 24 months probation with adjudication withheld. In another instance, after Garwood was disqualified by a judge from representing his wife in court, he continued to do so. He subsequently sent derogatory e-mails and letters to the opposing counsel. (Case Nos. SC08-838 and SC08-2050) |
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Date Posted: July 25, 2010 Action Line Complaint: Lewis B. Freeman Category: Lawyers
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Address
4288 S. Douglas Road
Miami
Florida, County: Miami/ Dade
Phone Number Unavailble
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Overview
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| Permanently disbarred effective 30 days from an April 15 court order. (Admitted to practice: 1974) Freeman was charged and found guilty in U.S. District Court of conspiracy to commit mail fraud. Freeman willfully and intentionally conspired with others to defraud and obtain money and property through false pretenses using the U.S. Postal Service and other private and commercial interstate carriers. (Case No. SC19-591) |
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Date Posted: July 25, 2010 Action Line Complaint: Geoffrey Nels Fieger Category: Lawyers
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Address
19390 W. 10 Ten Mile Road
Southfield
Michigan/ Florida, County: unavailable
Phone Number Unavailble
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Overview
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| Placed on probation for two years, during which time he is to accept no new business in any Florida state court, effective immediately, following an April 15 court order. (Admitted to practice: 1980) Fieger was also licensed to practice in Arizona and Michigan and was temporarily admitted in Indiana. This discipline case was due to his misconduct in Indiana. The Indiana Supreme Court found among other violations that Fieger made a false statement of fact to a tribunal and failed to correct a false statement of material fact previously made to a tribunal as it pertained to his application for temporary admission. (Case No. SC08-2196) |
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Date Posted: July 25, 2010 Action Line Complaint: Eduardo Exposito Category: Lawyers
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Address
8410 N.W. 53rd Terrace, Suite 100
Miami
Florida, County: Miami/ Dade
Phone Number Unavailble
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Overview
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| Disbarred effective 30 days from an April 15 court order. (Admitted to practice: 1994) Exposito was hired to represent two clients in various matters. Pursuant to the representation, they placed $300,484 in his trust account in September 2009. Exposito failed to use the client funds as instructed and to date, has failed to return the clients\' money despite numerous requests. (Case No. SC10-592) |
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Date Posted: July 25, 2010 Action Line Complaint: Ryan Thomas Dosen Category: Lawyers
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Address
108 Twin Creek Lane
Kennett Square
Pennsylvania/ Florida, County: unavailable
Phone Number Unavailble
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Overview
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| Suspended until further order effective immediately, following an April 5 court order. (Admitted to practice: 2004) Dosen pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to one felony count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud. (Case No. SC10-615) |
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Date Posted: July 25, 2010 Action Line Complaint: Martin Lewis Cordell Category: Lawyers
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Address
P.O. Box 547546
Orlando
Florida, County: Orange
Phone Number Unavailble
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Overview
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| Publicly reprimanded following a March 25 court order. (Admitted to practice: 1975) Cordell operated and managed an office for a lawyer who was not a member of The Florida Bar, but was admitted to the bar in Georgia and Ohio. Contrary to Bar rules, Cordell shared a percentage of earned fees with the non-lawyer, he did not properly supervise a paralegal he hired, he failed to disseminate a statement of client rights to clients, and his contingency fee contract was not in full compliance. (Case No. SC09-1116) |
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Date Posted: July 25, 2010 Action Line Complaint: Jason Brian Chalik Category: Lawyers
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Address
10063 N.W. 1st Court
Plantation
Florida, County: Broward
Phone Number Unavailble
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Overview
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| Publicly reprimanded, following a March 25 court order. (Admitted to practice: 1995) Chalik was contacted by a Canadian attorney (who was not admitted in Florida) to represent a Canadian client in a personal injury case stemming from a motor vehicle accident in Florida. Chalik and his law partner were jointly and equally responsible for the file. Chalik shared legal fees with the non-Florida lawyer, but did not include this fact on the closing statement that the client signed. Further, Chalik failed to protect liens on the file. (Case No. SC09-2278) |
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Date Posted: July 25, 2010 Action Line Complaint: Debi Fay Chalik Category: Lawyers
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Address
10063 N.W. 1st Court
Plantation
Florida, County: Broward
Phone Number Unavailble
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Overview
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| Publicly reprimanded, following a March 25 court order. (Admitted to practice: 1999) Chalik was contacted by a Canadian attorney (who was not admitted in Florida) to represent a Canadian client in a personal injury case stemming from a motor vehicle accident in Florida. Chalik and his law partner were jointly and equally responsible for the file. Chalik shared legal fees with the non-Florida lawyer, but did not include this fact on the closing statement that the client signed. Further, Chalik failed to protect liens on the file. (Case No. SC09-2277) |
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Date Posted: July 25, 2010 Action Line Complaint: Julio Francisco Cabrera Category: Lawyers
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Address
P.O. Box 164132
Miami
Florida, County: Miami/ Dade
Phone Number Unavailble
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Overview
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| Suspended for 91 days, effective 30 days from an April 8 court order. (Admitted to practice: 2004) Cabrera repeatedly failed to respond to a client\'s phone calls and rarely replied to e-mail requests regarding the status of the representation. He also failed to respond in writing to The Florida Bar\'s inquiry regarding the case or to otherwise participate in the disciplinary proceedings. (Case No. SC09-1710) |
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Date Posted: July 25, 2010 Action Line Complaint: Steven Hill Lee Bowman Category: Lawyers
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Address
611 U.S. Highway 41 S
Inverness
Florida, County: Citrus
Phone Number Unavailble
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Overview
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| Suspended until further order, following a March 26 court order. (Admitted to practice: 1984) According to a petition for emergency suspension, Bowman appeared to be causing great public harm by misappropriating assets from a trust for which he was named trustee, resulting in harm to the sole beneficiary of the trust. (Case No. SC10-494) |
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Date Posted: July 25, 2010 Action Line Complaint: Bruce Edgar Barr Category: Lawyers
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Address
5121 SW 90th Ave., Suite 3
Cooper City
Florida, County: Broward
Phone Number Unavailble
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Overview
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| Disbarred effective 30 days from an April 29 court order. (Admitted to practice: 1992) Barr handled a worker\'s compensation claim for a client. He subsequently deposited settlement proceeds into his trust account, of which $12,113 was due the client. Nearly a year later, Barr paid the client the amount owed in the form of a cashier\'s check. The funds belonged to another client. (Case No. SC10-736) |
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Date Posted: July 25, 2010 Action Line Complaint: Matthews Ryan Bark Category: Lawyers
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Address
217 N.E. Ivanhoe Blvd.
Orlando
Florida, County: Orange
Phone Number Unavailble
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Overview
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| He is to be publicly reprimanded and placed on probation for three years, effective immediately, following an April 1 court order. (Admitted to practice: 2007) In 2009, over a period of several months, Bark engaged in abusive and improper conduct in hearings before a state agency. Bark repeated the behavior in a courtroom, and when he didn\'t agree with the judge\'s ruling, he was arrested for disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. (Case No. SC10-299) |
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