William Riley Jr. Courtesy photo

Centner Academy attorney-lobbyist William Riley Jr. resigned as a partner at Greenspoon Marder after neighbors appealing a decision on the school claimed he had a conflict of interest.

Mayor Francis Suarez is of counsel at the law firm and could have been called into the dispute if the Miami City Commission reversed a city Planning, Zoning and Appeals Board decision granting an exception to the school. A hearing is scheduled for Thursday.

The city attorney's office said Friday that Greenspoon Marder no longer represents Centner Academy in its bid to open a preschool in the Design District. Suarez and Riley worked at the firm's Miami office.

Greenspoon Marder media representatives didn't return a request for comment by deadline.

The news came three days after attorney David Winker filed a motion with the city to disqualify Greenspoon Marder from representing the school.

Riley said his decision to leave has nothing to do with Winker's accusation since he planned to open his own law firm before the conflict of interest issue was raised. The Riley Law Firm registered with the state Division of Corporations on June 11.

Riley said he wants to dedicate more of his practice to working with school founders David and Leila Centner, including academy land use and zoning issues as well as other projects. The Centners are philanthropic tech entrepreneurs who have been buying up property in Miami's booming Edgewater neighborhood.

In his motion to disqualify Greenspoon, Winker said Suarez and Riley knew each other both personally and professionally, previously working together at GrayRobinson.

Winker cited state Ethics Commission cases that looked at similar instances and found conflicts. The commission advised Steve Geller to resign from Greenspoon Marder after he was elected to the Broward County Commission, saying a recusal wouldn't cure a conflict if a member of the firm appeared before the county commission.

Riley earlier called Winker's accusations "sensationalistic" and an attempt to create a "media storm," instead of addressing the issue professionally by calling Riley. "That's not my style," Riley said.

Riley opted to work for the Centners because "they are really good people" and their charitable spirit has impressed him, he said.

Riley left the Am Law 200 firm after nearly two years. He was shareholder at GrayRobinson from 2013 to 2017 after starting at Bilzin Sumberg in 2002, according to his LinkedIn page.

Center Academy was unable to open as scheduled Tuesday. The school doesn't have a certificate of occupancy but plans to open by month's end.

Winker is representing residents of the nearby Buena Vista neighborhood who raised issues with the added traffic anticipated at the three-story school at 4136 N. Miami Ave.

He filed the appeal on behalf of residents of the planning board's approval of the preschool. The board's zoning exception departs from the essential requirements of the Miami 21 code because the code was created in part to limit exactly such zoning exceptions, Winker said.

He took on the matter after Buena Vista residents said they received a text from another school attorney based in New Haven, Connecticut, pushing them to drop their appeal.

Residents say John Doroghazi, a partner at Wiggin and Dana, in part said in the text that the Centners are considering suing over the appeal, but that he advised them to first speak with residents so they understand "what litigation would entail."

Doroghazi declined comment.

Winker addressed the accusation that he is sensationalizing the preschool issues.

"To then accuse me of 'sensationalizing' what is happening by exposing exactly what they are doing shows they are not acting in good faith," Winker said. "I do what I do openly and transparently on purpose. No more backroom deals—that's the whole point of what I am trying to accomplish."

Related stories: 

Ethics Question Shrouds Miami Preschool's Hiring of Attorney at Mayor's Law Firm

Tech Entrepreneur David Centner Pursues Assemblage in Miami's Edgewater