The Florida Supreme Court has disciplined 10 South Florida lawyers in the past month. Photo: Shutterstock.com

The Florida Supreme Court disciplined 10 South Florida attorneys, returning three disbarments, three disciplinary revocations and four suspensions since Oct. 24, according to data released Tuesday.

Miami bankruptcy attorney Sonia Yvette Amador was disbarred and ordered to pay a total of $3,585 in restitution to two clients for allegedly receiving retainers without diligently communicating and pursuing their cases. Amador was also accused of misrepresenting the status of her discipline case, and not responding to the Florida Bar's inquiries.

Byron Gregory Petersen in Boca Raton also lost his law license for continuing to hold himself out as a lawyer after being suspended. He was suspended for three years in 2018 over allegations he violated 14 bar rules in a dispute over attorney fees with clients.

Plantation attorney Scott David Rubinchik will be disbarred Dec. 7 following a suspension. He faced bar complaints for allegedly failing to answer the appellate court multiple times in two criminal appeals, misrepresenting the status of cases to clients, and failing to take sufficient action. In one case, the Florida Bar alleged Rubinchik modified child support for a client, but never drafted an order as requested by the appellate court, and took no action in the case for five years.

Rubinchik said he felt the grievance case was inherently unfair, and stressed that none of the allegations harmed or unfairly prejudiced the complainants.

"The specific bar matters were more a product of a high-volume solo practice and office management issues. For the entirety of my legal career I was a highly skilled, capable, competent and diligent legal practitioner. The remedy of disbarment is misapplied in this instance," Rubinchik said. "For 23 years I put my clients' needs above my own, rarely taking a day off, whether on vacation, the hospital or my daughter's activities. The positive and good that I have done far outweigh any bad."

Criminal defense attorney Nelson Israel Alfaro in Coral Gables has agreed to a disciplinary revocation that will allow him to seek readmission in five years after he was indicted for conspiracy, obstruction of justice and making false statements to a federal law enforcement officer.

Alfaro is accused of running a scheme with another Miami resident to charge tens of thousands of dollars for information from a defendant who'd already been sentenced, fraudulently presenting that as "cooperation" and "substantial assistance" to push for a sentence reduction. He faces a maximum penalty of 35 years in prison if found guilty.

Homestead lawyer Philip Jay Reichenthal, admitted to the bar in 1968, has accepted a disciplinary revocation over his work as an escrow agent for a private bitcoin agreement. He allegedly received more than $2 million as but failed to properly disburse the money, most of which allegedly went to an unrelated third party. Disciplinary revocation is tantamount to disbarment.

Reichenthal said he'd never had a bar complaint before the 12 that resulted from one transaction.

"I did not profit from it and I am too ill to fight it," Reichenthal said.

North Miami personal injury lawyer Ilya Torchinsky also received a disciplinary revocation over allegations he neglected cases and wrongly converted client trust funds. He's since agreed to an audit, and has returned the converted money.

Miami civil trial attorney Armando Gustavo Hernandez was suspended for six months for allegedly lying to shareholders about representing clients outside of Rumberger, Kirk & Caldwell, where he worked as an associate. A referee found Hernandez deleted, exported and edited files related to those cases, which he had stored in his firm's system. He's since expressed remorse and relinquished all fees from the cases.

Miami attorney Leroy G. Lee has been suspended until further notice for submitting a late response to show why he shouldn't be held in contempt for leaving Florida Bar inquiries unanswered. Lee's suspension will continue until he answers the bar.

Personal injury lawyer Janet Peralta Lucente in Hollywood was also suspended for not answering bar inquiries and a subsequent order to show cause. Likewise, Boynton Beach  attorney Les Schneiderman is suspended until he answers the bar's inquiries.

More discipline:

'Your Life is Not Worthy': Reprimand for Florida Judge Over Treatment of Defendants

High Court Rejects Miami Lawyer's Exoneration; Reassigns Ethics Case