Orange Park attorney Basem Soliman has been suspended by the Florida Bar effective retroactive 30 days from Nov. 17, following a Nov. 21 order. Soliman was adjudged guilty of two counts of lewd and lascivious molestation, second-degree felonies and failed to report his felony conviction to the Florida Bar.
The Bar recently announced that the Florida Supreme Court also disbarred three attorneys, suspended six others, reprimanded four and placed four attorneys on probation.
• Alan Lowell Arons, Boca Raton, disbarred from practicing law in Florida, effective retroactive to April 13, 2004, following a Nov. 30 order. Arons intentionally misappropriated clients’ trust funds, exhibiting a pattern of misconduct, multiple offenses and bad faith obstruction of the disciplinary proceeding.
• Michael William Bond, Fort Myers, disbarred from practicing of law in Florida, effective 30 days from a Nov. 2 court order. Bond failed to provide competent representation for a client, intentionally solicited, encouraged and assisted a client in conduct he knew was criminal or fraudulent, represented a client when his independent judgment was materially limited by his own interests, used information about a client’s desperate financial circumstance to secure an advantage in a property transaction without her consent, committed criminal acts and was involved in dishonest, fraudulent and deceitful conduct.
• Stephen Glenn Martin, Ormond Beach, disbarred from practicing law in Florida, effective immediately, following a Nov. 9 court order. Martin failed to take the steps reasonably practicable to protect a client’s interests upon the termination of representation, engaged in conduct in connection with practicing law that is prejudicial to the administration of justice and failed to respond, in writing, to an official inquiry by bar counsel.
• Sarino R. Costanzo, Miami, suspended from practicing law in Florida, effective Nov. 12, and shall remain suspended until further order of the court, following a Nov. 14 order. Costanzo failed to comply with a grievance committee subpoena for trust account records.
• Neil A. Katims, Elk Grove Village, Ill., suspended from practicing law in Florida indefinitely, without leave to petition for reinstatement, effective immediately, following a Nov. 16 court order. Katims failed to provide competent representation for a client, and violated a rule prohibiting an attorney from entering into an agreement for or charging or collecting an illegal, prohibited or clearly excessive fee or cost.
• Alexis Summer Moore, Miami, suspended from practicing law in Florida following a Nov. 28 court order and shall remain suspended until further notice of the court. Moore appears to be causing great public harm by the misappropriation and/or diversion of funds entrusted to her.
• Mark Orr, Fort Pierce, suspended from practicing law in Florida for 30 days, effective 30 days from a Nov. 22 court order. Orr, who was adjudicated guilty of reckless driving, committed a criminal act that reflects adversely on his honesty, trustworthiness or fitness as a lawyer.
• Maria Teresa Rodriguez, Coral Gables, suspended from practicing law in Florida for 30 days, effective 30 days from a Nov. 2 court order, and then placed on 24 months probation. Rodriguez violated rules regulating trust accounts, engaged in misconduct and minor misconduct, failed to act with reasonable diligence and promptness in representing a client, failed to keep a client reasonably informed about the status of a matter and failed to respond in writing to an official inquiry.
• Donald Alan Tobkin, Hollywood, suspended from practicing law in Florida for 91 days, effective retroactive Oct. 30, following a Nov. 1 court order. Tobkin unlawfully obstructed another party’s access to evidence, knowingly disobeying an obligation under the rules of a tribunal, made a frivolous discovery request or failed to comply with a legally proper discovery request and engaged in conduct prejudicial to the administration of justice.
• Omar Javier Arcia, Pembroke Pines, reinstated and placed on probation for three years, effective immediately, following a Nov. 17 court order. Arcia had been suspended since 2003 for committing a criminal act that reflected adversely on his honesty, trustworthiness or fitness as a lawyer, and participated in conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit or misrepresentation.
• Brian Merl Beauchamp, Stuart, reprimanded and placed on probation for one year, following a Nov. 16 court order. Beauchamp failed to abide by a client’s decisions concerning the objectives of representation, failed to act with reasonable diligence and promptness in representing a client, failed to keep a client reasonably informed about the status of a matter and engaged in conduct in connection with the practice of law that is prejudicial to the administration of justice.
• Regina Elizabeth Glossick Cox, Winter Park, reprimanded and placed on probation for three years, effective retroactive to May 4, following a Nov. 22 court order. Cox failed to act with reasonable diligence and promptness in representing a client, failed 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, engaged in conduct in connection with the practice of law that is prejudicial to the administration of justice and failed to respond, in writing, to an official inquiry by bar counsel.
• Mary Lynn Desjarlais, Sarasota, reprimanded and ordered to attend Ethics School, following a Nov. 9 court order. Desjarlais had a conflict of interest in representing a client, causing a limitation on her independent professional judgment.
• John Chandler Ross, Orlando, placed on probation for three years, effective immediately, following a Nov. 30 court order. Ross failed to act with reasonable diligence and promptness in representing a client, failed to keep a client reasonably informed about the status of a matter and failed to explain a matter to the extent reasonably necessary to permit the client to make informed decisions regarding representation.
• Ronald Frank Smith, Largo, reprimanded, following a Nov. 9 court order. Smith failed to disclose a material fact to a third person.