Dusk falls over the Florida Supreme Court building Monday, Jan. 31, 2011 in Tallahassee. Photo: Phil Sears.Florida Supreme Court Disciplines 4 South Florida Lawyers
Justices handed out a suspension, a disbarment and two disciplinary revocations.
February 28, 2019 at 02:41 PM
3 minute read
The Florida Supreme Court disciplined four attorneys from Miami, Coral Gables and Boca Raton. The justices suspended one, granted disciplinary revocation to two and disbarred another.
Coral gables attorney Timothy John Chuilli was disbarred after skipping a disciplinary hearing and failing to cooperate throughout disciplinary proceedings.
The Florida Bar accused Chuilli of not completing his Continuing Legal Education requirements, falling behind on bar fees, and then continuing to represent a client in a civil case, despite being ineligible to practice. It alleged he also left the client to represent herself, ignoring her requests for exhibits and documents.
Miami lawyer John Chiarenza was suspended for three years after a jury convicted him of aggravated assault by possession of a firearm. He was admitted to the bar in 1990 and is serving a three-year prison sentence.
Chiarenza's attorney Benedict P. Kuehne said his client was sincerely appreciative that the court accepted a referee's recommendation of suspension.
“Mr. Chiarenza's legal situation is an unfair tragedy that does not in any way implicate his talents and professionalism as a lawyer,” Kuehne said. “His case does, however, raise important questions about how good and responsible citizens like Mr. Chiarenza can exercise their right to self-defense in a reasonable and legal manner. His criminal charges should never have been brought when he was reasonably defending himself from a very real and present danger.”
The court granted former Boca Raton lawyer Mark Fisher's petition for disciplinary revocation, which will prevent him from seeking readmission to the bar after he pleaded guilty to a felony count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud.
The 2014 scheme involved the manipulation of shares in a beauty products company, Valentine Beauty Inc. in Sunrise. Fisher awaits sentencing March 25.
His attorney Jason Kreiss of the Kreiss Law Firm in Fort Lauderdale said, “Mr. Fisher is looking forward to putting this matter behind him.”
Related story: Former South Florida Attorney Charged Over $1M Securities Fraud
Justices also granted Miami lawyer David Philips' disciplinary revocation petition, allowing him to seek readmission after five years. Philips, who was admitted to the bar in 1999, allegedly misappropriated more than $400,000 in clients' funds. He has agreed to reimburse the money and pay attorney fees and costs, according to the Florida Bar's petition.
More discipline stories:
This content has been archived. It is available through our partners, LexisNexis® and Bloomberg Law.
To view this content, please continue to their sites.
Not a Lexis Subscriber?
Subscribe Now
Not a Bloomberg Law Subscriber?
Subscribe Now
NOT FOR REPRINT
© 2024 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.
You Might Like
View All
Benworth Accused of Predatory Tactics in Foreclosure Dispute as Elderly Defendant's Health Deteriorates
4 minute read
'Get Rid of the Men': Employer Accused of Discrimination
Trending Stories
- 1Remembering Ted Olson
- 2Support Magistrates: Statutorily Significant
- 3Nelson Mullins, Greenberg Traurig, Jones Day Have Established Themselves As Biggest Outsiders in Atlanta Legal Market
- 4Immunity for Mental Health Care and Coverage for CBD: What's on the Pa. High Court's November Calendar
- 5Monday Newspaper
Who Got The Work
Michael G. Bongiorno, Andrew Scott Dulberg and Elizabeth E. Driscoll from Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr have stepped in to represent Symbotic Inc., an A.I.-enabled technology platform that focuses on increasing supply chain efficiency, and other defendants in a pending shareholder derivative lawsuit. The case, filed Oct. 2 in Massachusetts District Court by the Brown Law Firm on behalf of Stephen Austen, accuses certain officers and directors of misleading investors in regard to Symbotic's potential for margin growth by failing to disclose that the company was not equipped to timely deploy its systems or manage expenses through project delays. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton, is 1:24-cv-12522, Austen v. Cohen et al.
Who Got The Work
Edmund Polubinski and Marie Killmond of Davis Polk & Wardwell have entered appearances for data platform software development company MongoDB and other defendants in a pending shareholder derivative lawsuit. The action, filed Oct. 7 in New York Southern District Court by the Brown Law Firm, accuses the company's directors and/or officers of falsely expressing confidence in the company’s restructuring of its sales incentive plan and downplaying the severity of decreases in its upfront commitments. The case is 1:24-cv-07594, Roy v. Ittycheria et al.
Who Got The Work
Amy O. Bruchs and Kurt F. Ellison of Michael Best & Friedrich have entered appearances for Epic Systems Corp. in a pending employment discrimination lawsuit. The suit was filed Sept. 7 in Wisconsin Western District Court by Levine Eisberner LLC and Siri & Glimstad on behalf of a project manager who claims that he was wrongfully terminated after applying for a religious exemption to the defendant's COVID-19 vaccine mandate. The case, assigned to U.S. Magistrate Judge Anita Marie Boor, is 3:24-cv-00630, Secker, Nathan v. Epic Systems Corporation.
Who Got The Work
David X. Sullivan, Thomas J. Finn and Gregory A. Hall from McCarter & English have entered appearances for Sunrun Installation Services in a pending civil rights lawsuit. The complaint was filed Sept. 4 in Connecticut District Court by attorney Robert M. Berke on behalf of former employee George Edward Steins, who was arrested and charged with employing an unregistered home improvement salesperson. The complaint alleges that had Sunrun informed the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection that the plaintiff's employment had ended in 2017 and that he no longer held Sunrun's home improvement contractor license, he would not have been hit with charges, which were dismissed in May 2024. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer, is 3:24-cv-01423, Steins v. Sunrun, Inc. et al.
Who Got The Work
Greenberg Traurig shareholder Joshua L. Raskin has entered an appearance for boohoo.com UK Ltd. in a pending patent infringement lawsuit. The suit, filed Sept. 3 in Texas Eastern District Court by Rozier Hardt McDonough on behalf of Alto Dynamics, asserts five patents related to an online shopping platform. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Rodney Gilstrap, is 2:24-cv-00719, Alto Dynamics, LLC v. boohoo.com UK Limited.
Featured Firms
Law Offices of Gary Martin Hays & Associates, P.C.
(470) 294-1674
Law Offices of Mark E. Salomone
(857) 444-6468
Smith & Hassler
(713) 739-1250
