11 South Florida Attorneys Disciplined by High Court
Of 21 lawyers disciplined, 11 were from South Florida.
March 29, 2019 at 04:44 PM
4 minute read
The state Supreme Court has disciplined 11 South Florida lawyers since Feb. 13, doling out suspensions, disciplinary revocations and public reprimands, according to information released Friday.
Fort Lauderdale lawyer Ashley A. Krapacs has been suspended until further notice after an emergency petition from the Florida Bar claimed she harassed two attorneys and disparaged a circuit court judge in a “social media blitz.” One of Krapacs' alleged victims has obtained a stalking injunction, while the other has a defamation lawsuit pending.
Justices also suspended Coral Springs attorney Mark H. Klein for 30 days over claims he failed to tell a client that the opposing lender in a foreclosure case filed a successful motion for summary judgment.
Miami lawyer Cyrus A. Bischoff received a disciplinary revocation, which is tantamount to disbarment. This means he'll have to wait several years before seeking readmission. Bischoff acted as an escrow agent and negotiated funds through his trust account while suspended from practicing, according to the court.
The high court also granted a petition for disciplinary revocation to Davie personal injury lawyer Cory S. Robins, over claims he improperly disbursed funds from his trust account.
Boca Raton attorney Brian N. Greenspoon applied for reinstatement after a three-year suspension but instead received a five-year disciplinary revocation. According to the Florida Bar, Greenspoon had contacted clients while suspended.
Boca Raton lawyer Jeffrey G. Klein faces a five-year disciplinary revocation after pleading guilty to wire fraud and money laundering charges in the Western District of New York. He was sentenced to three years' probation with six months of house arrest. Likewise, securities attorney James M. Schneider in Hillsboro Beach received a disciplinary revocation after a jury in the Southern District of Florida found him guilty of 33 counts of money laundering, and securities and wire fraud.
Related story: Federal Jury Convicts Broward Lawyer of Securities Fraud, Money Laundering
Foreclosure lawyer Daniel R. Brinley in Royal Palm Beach also had his licensed revoked, accused of neglecting clients and misrepresenting the status of their cases. Miami litigator Marvin Kurzban suffered the same fate for allegedly causing a mistrial in a civil case after being discourteous and unprofessional.
Divya Khullar in Tamarac and Peter J. Yanowitch in Coral Gables are both headed for a public reprimand. Khullar failed to answer a bar inquiry, while Yanowitch was accused of staying quiet about a potential conflict of interest with a client seeking a U.S. investor visa. The client had also invested in a company Yanowitch co-owned.
Solo practitioner Khullar said he respectfully disagrees with the court's decision.
“I am doing free work for over 400 active clients and this is what was handed down to me for something trivial,” he said.
Counsel to Yanowitch, Alex Diaz, said that although his client technically hadn't complied with Rule 4-1.8, he was disappointed it came to this.
“Mr. Yanowitch worked very closely with the chosen intermediary and an immigration attorney to structure an E-2 transaction for his client. The client was specifically aware of the role that Mr. Yanowitch would play in the transaction. However, once a billing dispute arose, the client rescinded the transaction,” Diaz said. “Unfortunately, in an effort to gain leverage, Mr. Yanowitch's former client filed a bar grievance.”
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