South Florida Lawyer Suspended Amid Case Alleging 17 Ethics Violations
Florida Supreme Court Chief Justice Charles Canady has also ordered Miami-Dade Circuit Chief Judge Bertila Soto to appoint a referee to the discipline case within 14 days.
June 10, 2020 at 10:47 AM
2 minute read
Days after the Florida Bar asked for the suspension of Coral Gables attorney Scot Strems, the state Supreme Court has obliged, suspending his law license until further notice.
Strems, founder of the Strems Law Firm, is accused of violating 17 ethical rules with what the Florida Bar described as a "vast campaign of unprofessional, unethical and fraudulent conduct that now infects courts and communities across the state."
Strems' firm specializes in insurance and personal injury cases, but the bar has alleged they often follow a pattern of bad faith conduct that ends with sanctions.
Strems is yet to formally respond to the allegations. But his attorneys—Scott Tozian of Smith Tozian Daniel & Davis in Tampa and Miami solo practitioner Mark Kamilar—said he denies the accusations.
"Scot Strems strongly disputes the allegations, and is working with the bar to set a hearing to present his defense," Kamilar said.
The court order means Strems can't accept any new clients and must withdraw from current cases within 30 days. It also blocks the attorney from withdrawing any trust account money connected to his practice.
Florida Supreme Court Chief Justice Charles Canady has also ordered Miami-Dade Circuit Chief Judge Bertila Soto to appoint a referee to the discipline case within 14 days.
The referee will investigate the allegations against Strems, then submit a finding of fact and recommend what discipline, if any, he should receive. The referee will hold a case management conference within 60 days of their appointment and file findings of fact within 90 days of their appointment, according to Canady's ruling.
The Florida Supreme Court has the final word on attorney discipline in the state.
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