The Florida Supreme Court in recent court orders suspended 10 attorneys, disbarred six, placed three on probation, and reprimanded two attorneys, including one from Jacksonville. Martin Joseph Mickler was suspended from practicing law in Florida for 91 days, effective 30 days following a May 20 court order. If reinstated, Mickler will be placed on probation for two years. Among several Bar violations, Mickler failed to provide competent representation to a client; failed to act with reasonable diligence and promptness in representing a client; and failed to make reasonable efforts to expedite litigation consistent with the interests of the client.
The other lawyers disciplined are [Please note that court orders are not final until time expires to file a rehearing motion and, if filed, determined. The filing of such a motion does not alter the effective date of the discipline]:
• Nathan Adler, Ft. Myers, reprimanded for professional misconduct following a May 27 court order. Adler failed to act with reasonable diligence and promptness in representing a client; neglected to keep a client reasonably informed about the status of a matter and promptly comply with reasonable requests for information; failed to explain a matter to the extent reasonably necessary to permit the client to make informed decisions regarding the representation; and violated or attempted to violate the Rules of Professional Conduct, knowingly assisted or induced another to do so, or did so through the acts of another.
• Howard I. Alabaster, Coral Springs, suspended from practicing law in Florida for one year, effective immediately following a May 20 court order. Upon termination of representation, Alabaster failed to take steps to the extent reasonably practicable to protect a client’s interest.
• Alan Lowell Arons, Deerfield Beach, suspended on emergency basis from practicing law in Florida until further court order, effective 30 days following an April 13 court order. A review of Uranus’ trust account revealed that there is clear, convincing and undeniable evidence that he misappropriated client and third party funds.
• J. Reeve Bright, Delray Beach, probation extended for an additional two years, effective retroactive to Jan. 1, following an April 8 court order. Bright failed to comply with the terms and conditions of his probation and violated the April 26, 2001 court order.
• Rhett Pendelton Dove III, Miami, disbarred from practicing law in Florida, effective immediately following an April 8 court order. Among several Bar violations, Dove neglected to keep a client reasonably informed about the status of a matter and promptly comply with reasonable requests for information; failed to act with reasonable diligence and promptness in representing a client; and engaged in conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit or misrepresentation.
• Mark S. Fisch, Palm Beach Gardens, suspended from practicing law in Florida for 90 days, effective 30 days following an April 15 court order. Fisch is further placed on probation for two years. Among several Bar violations, Fisch violated or attempted to violate the Rules of Professional Conduct, knowingly assisted or induced another to do so, or did so through the acts of another; and failed to respond, in writing, to an official inquiry by Bar counsel or a disciplinary agency, when conducting an investigation into his conduct.
• Albert Gavin-Wayne Gill, Delray Beach, reprimanded for professional misconduct following a May 27 court order. Among several Bar violations, Gill made a false, misleading, deceptive or unfair communication about himself or his services and failed to comply with Florida Bar advertising rules.
• Leonardo Jorge Guerra, Hialeah, suspended on emergency basis from practicing law in Florida until further court order, effective June 8, following an April 8 court order. A review of Guerra’s trust account revealed that there is clear, convincing and undeniable evidence that he misappropriated clients’ funds.
• Thomas Lemuel Hurst, Miami, suspended from practicing law in Florida for 90 days, effective Aug. 2, following an April 1 court order. Hurst is further placed on probation for one year. Hurst failed to act with reasonable diligence and promptness in representing a client; neglected to keep a client reasonably informed about the status of a matter and promptly comply with reasonable requests for information; and failed to respond, in writing, to an official inquiry by Bar counsel or a disciplinary agency, when conducting an investigation into his conduct.
• Javier Enrique Lopera, Coconut Grove, disbarred from practicing law in Florida, effective immediately following a May 20 court order. Among several Bar violations, Lopera committed a criminal act that reflects adversely on the lawyer’s honesty, trustworthiness, or fitness as a lawyer; engaged in criminal misconduct; and violated or attempted to violate the Rules of Professional Conduct, knowingly assisted or induced another to do so, or did so through the acts of another.
• Gregory A. Meeks II, Orlando, placed on supervised probation for one year, effective immediately following a May 20 court order. Meeks engaged in conduct in connection with the practice of law that is prejudicial to the administration of justice; failed to respond, in writing, to an official inquiry by Bar counsel or a disciplinary agency, when conducting an investigation into his conduct; and committed an act that was unlawful or contrary to honesty and justice.
• Jon Alex Merkle, Hallandale, suspended from practicing law in Florida, effective 30 days following an April 12 court order. On or about Feb. 10, Merkle was convicted of a felony by the Circuit Court of the 17th Judicial Circuit and was sentenced to nine months in the Broward County Jail.
• Robert Elliot Miller, Brookeville, Md., suspended from practicing law in Florida for six months, effective 30 days following an April 8 court order. Among several Bar violations, Miller failed to provide competent representation to a client; neglected to act with reasonable diligence and promptness in representing a client; and failed to keep a client reasonably informed about the status of a matter and promptly comply with reasonable requests for information.
• Samuel A. Mones, Miami Beach, disbarred from practicing law in Florida, effective 30 days following an April 15 court order. Among several Bar violations, Mones failed to provide competent representation to a client; failed to respond, in writing, to an official inquiry by Bar counsel or a disciplinary agency when conducting an investigation into his conduct; and neglected to act with reasonable diligence and promptness in representing a client.
• Warner Smith Olds, Ft. Lauderdale, suspended from practicing law in Florida for three years, effective retroactive to March 5, 2003, following an April 22 court order. On or about March 5, 2003, Olds was convicted of four counts of mail fraud and one count of wire fraud and was sentenced to three years probation and 300 hours of community service.
• Carlton Riley Reichert, Orlando, disbarred from practicing law in Florida, effective immediately following an April 8 court order. Among several Bar violations, Reichert charged an illegal, prohibited, or clearly excessive fee; knowingly made a false statement of a material fact to a tribunal; engaged in conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit, or misrepresentation; and failed to maintain minimum trust accounting records.
• Barry R. Shapiro, permanently disbarred from practicing law in Florida, effective immediately following an April 29 court order. Shapiro continued to hold himself out as a Florida attorney after the effective date of his 1984 disbarment.
• Taryn Xenia Temmer, Brandon, probation extended until March 26, 2007, following an April 29 court order. As a condition of her probation, Temmer must contact Florida Lawyers Assistance, Inc.
• George Guyer Young III, Harvertown, Pa., suspended from practicing law in Florida, effective 30 days following an April 15 court order. On Feb. 12, Young plead guilty to nine counts of Mail Fraud, nine counts of making false statements, and three counts of theft of government funds and was sentenced to 14 months in prison.
• Gary J. Yudewitz, Ft. Lauderdale, disbarred from practicing law in Florida, effective immediately following an April 15 court order. Among several Bar violations, Yudewitz engaged in practicing law while delinquent in his continuing legal education requirements; failed to keep a client reasonably informed about the status of a matter and promptly comply with reasonable requests for information; and failed to respond, in writing, to an official inquiry by Bar counsel or a disciplinary agency, when conducting an investigation into his conduct.