Florida Supreme Court disciplines 9 attorneys across the state, including 1 from Boynton
The Florida Supreme Court recently disciplined nine attorneys — suspending five, extending the ineligibility of one and reprimanding three. Court orders are not final until time expires for the disciplined attorney to file a rehearing motion.
The attorneys represent law practices from across the state of Florida. Disbarred lawyers may not reapply for admission for five years and are required to undergo a rigorous background check, as well as retake the Bar exam. Attorneys suspended for 91 days and longer must demonstrate that they have been rehabilitated in order to regain their law licenses.
Disciplinary revocation is tantamount to disbarment.
Boynton Beach
Michael D.P. Phillips, suspended for 90 days. Admitted to practice in 2003,Phillips represented defendants in a civil matter. The court found Phillips made false representations to the court, violated court orders, and showed obstructionist and dilatory discovery behavior. The court granted a sanctions motion and defendants’ pleadings were stricken. The court also entered a default judgment and awarded attorney’s fees and costs.
Hallendale Beach
Roger Barry Davis, emergency suspension. Admitted to practice in 1973, Davis misappropriated trust funds related to two separate client matters.
Coral Springs
Lee Neil Feinberg, public reprimand. Admitted to practice in 1992, Feinberg was charged with felony aggravated assault with a deadly weapon following a road-rage incident, which he self-reported to the Bar in November 2019. In June 2022, Feinberg pleaded to the first-degree misdemeanor of improper exhibition of a weapon.
Weston
Don Gonzalez, suspended until further order of the court. Admitted to practice in 1993, the Florida Bar filed a petition for contempt and an order to show cause after Gonzalez failed to respond to the Bar’s investigative inquiries. Subsequently, Gonzalez failed to respond to the Florida Supreme Court’s order to show cause, and the court entered an order suspending him until he responds to the Bar’s investigative inquiries and until further order of the court.
Lehigh Acres
Amanda Marie Guerrant, held in contempt and publicly reprimanded. Admitted to practice in 2015, Guerrant failed to respond to an official Bar inquiry. She subsequently filed an untimely response to the inquiry after the Florida Bar filed a petition for contempt and order to show cause. The Supreme Court found that Guerrant’s response was untimely, held her in contempt and publicly reprimanded her.
Hollywood
Frantz C. Nelson, suspended for 30 days. Admitted to practice in 2006, Nelson signed and/or authorized the placement of his signature on motions to withdraw as counsel, the motions to withdraw were authored by another attorney and contained disparaging information about other attorneys.
Gregory Eric Schwartz, ineligibility to seek readmission to The Florida Bar extended by one year. Admitted to practice in 1996, and for a brief period after his disciplinary revocation went into effect, Schwartz appeared as the signatory on a law firm trust account and issued checks to clients.
Jacksonville
James Alfred Stanley Jr., emergency suspended until further order of the Supreme Court of Florida. Stanley is ordered to accept no new clients immediately and to cease all representation. Admitted to practice in 1989, Stanley has caused, or is likely to cause, immediate and serious harm to clients or the public by misappropriating client funds and committing fundamental trust account violations.
Orlando
Timothy Wayne Terry, public reprimand and completion of Ethics School within six months. Admitted to practice in 1981, Terry failed to pursue diligently his client’s dissolution matter or adequately communicate with her from about late 2019 through mid-2023.
Terry indicated that the delays occurred because he experienced multiple bouts of COVID-19 and had difficulties obtaining service on the estranged husband. The matter is still pending before the court and the client is now satisfied with Terry’s continued representation.