Miami Attorney Disbarred for Abandoning Law Practice, Clients
He was one of two attorneys disbarred. The high court also suspended two other lawyers, according to its latest roundup of disciplinary proceedings.
April 30, 2018 at 05:54 PM
3 minute read
Miami immigration attorney Cary G. Blake can no longer practice law in South Florida after the state Supreme Court disbarred him for abandoning clients and his law practice.
In fact, Blake's court records show he should not have been practicing law in Miami in the first place because he is a member of the New Jersey bar, not Florida's. Court records indicate he abandoned a case after accepting $20,000 in fees, and never refunded the money. In another case, he accepted fees for a married couple seeking a U.S. visa, but failed to communicate before abandoning his Biscayne Boulevard law practice.
Blake was one of four South Florida attorneys and 12 statewide punished for ethics violations in March, according to a roundup of Supreme Court disciplinary orders released Monday.
Also disbarred was Broward construction lawyer Randall Lawrence Gilbert, whose employee stole about $190,000 per month, according to court records. He lost his business for failing to supervise an ex-con paralegal who took about $4.8 million from his Hollywood firm's trust account.
“This case gives new meaning to the phrase 'turning a blind eye,' ” the court wrote in an unsigned decision.
The state Supreme Court also suspended Coral Gables attorney Andrew Michael Kassier for 10 days over his failure to complete work on an adoption case.
Kassier has been a member of the Florida bar since 1981. Court filings suggest he became the subject of a grievance complaint investigation in 2017 after an adoption case lagged for years.
The complaint against him claimed a client hired Kassier in 2012 and waited two years, with no resolution. The attorney agreed to refund all fees in 2014 and continue the work on a pro bono basis, but never did either, according to the complaint. When the client complained to the bar in 2017, Kassier still hadn't returned the money or finished the job.
The high court also suspended Boca Raton personal injury attorney Jason Steven Dalley until further notice. Dalley pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud, wire fraud and health care fraud.
U.S. District Judge William Dimitrouleas sentenced him to 21 months in prison on April 17 for his role in an insurance kickback scheme with tow truck drivers and chiropractors. The federal judge also ordered him to pay nearly $1.84 million in restitution for his role in a $23 million auto insurance fraud. His imprisonment prompted an outpouring of support from attorneys and longtime friends.
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