Florida Supreme Court disciplines Lake Worth and Boca Raton lawyers

The Florida Supreme Court recently disciplined 10 attorneys – two had their license revoked, five were barred from practicing, one was given a warning, and two were reprimanded. Court orders are not final until the disciplined attorney has passed the deadline to file a motion for retrial.

The attorneys represent law firms from across the state. Barred attorneys cannot reapply for admission for five years and must undergo a rigorous background check and retake the bar exam. Attorneys suspended for 91 days or more must demonstrate they have been rehabilitated to regain their license to practice law.

A disciplinary revocation is equivalent to exclusion from the practice of the profession.

Boca Raton

Alexander Iglesias Brutvan, admonition and referral to Florida Lawyers Assistance Inc. Brutvan was admitted to the bar in 2015 and charged with possession of a controlled substance. Brutvan's case followed the successful completion of a pretrial intervention agreement with the State of Florida.

See Worth

Laitil Ovincy, public reprimand by publishing and completing the Florida Bar's School of Ethics and Professionalism Workshop. Ovincy was admitted to the bar in 2014, but neglected cases and failed to adequately communicate with his clients in two separate immigration proceedings.

Miami

Emelike Nwosuocha, suspended for one year with immediate effect as Nwosuocha is currently suspended. Nwosuocha was admitted to the bar in 2008 and was charged with contempt of court for failing to notify clients, opposing counsel and the courts of his suspension.

Saint Augustine

Joseph Lester Boles Jr., disciplinary revocation with permission to apply for readmission in five years. Boles was admitted to the bar in 1984 and prepared a will for people over 65 and drafted the documents, naming himself as the trustee's personal representative or successor in trust to potentially receive fees as part of the estate or trust assets. Boles also failed to follow the instructions of several will documents while serving as trustee and is accused of selling a deceased person's home to his daughter at a price below market value.

adventure

Lisa Jacobs, suspended for one year, effective immediately, as Jacobs was already suspended. Jacobs was admitted to the bar in 1999 and charged with contempt of court for failing to notify clients, opposing counsel and the courts of her suspension and also for failing to remove any signs that would give the appearance of being a lawyer in good standing.

Tallahassee

Erik Russell Fenniman, exposed for 90 days and was ordered to attend ethics school and a professionalism workshop. Fenniman was admitted to the bar in 2003 and while serving as general counsel for the Florida Department of Transportation, he signed the names of two of his subordinate employees to official agency letters without their knowledge or consent. One of the employees had already terminated her employment with the Florida Department of Transportation several weeks prior to this incident.

Jaquetta Johnson, public reprimand and Escrow Account Workshop. Johnson was admitted to the bar in 2014 and provided legal advice to a plaintiff who retained the Florida Community Law Center (FCLC) to collect debts from debtors. The plaintiff forwarded several collection files between January and November 2020 for a flat fee of $1,650.00 for each collection matter resolved prior to trial and costs.

When Johnson received funds from debtors on behalf of the plaintiff, the fee agreement deducted the fees from FCLC and remitted the remaining amount to the plaintiff. During the representation, the plaintiff and defendant disputed what fees and costs were due and owed.

On October 27, 2020, Johnson sent the plaintiff a check for $2,681.00 for funds received on his behalf. The check bounced due to insufficient funds. FCLC was dissolved in April 2022. FCLC did not have an IOTA trust account registered with the Florida Bar Foundation. As a result, attorney fees and client funds were commingled.

Belleair Bluffs

Theophilos John Karaphillis, suspended. Karaphillis was called to the bar in 1988 and following an order to show cause, he was found in contempt of court and suspended pending the filing of a full written response to an official request from the Bar and the issuance of a further order from the court. Karaphillis also did not file a response to the court's order to show cause.

Fort Myers

Guichard St. Surin, disciplinary revocation with permission to seek re-admission in five years. St. Surin was admitted to the bar in 2011 and is the subject of three pending cases: St. Surin is accused of engaging in inappropriate, unwanted sexual conduct and harassment toward four employees and a client; of failing to diligently and competently pursue a family law matter; and of self-reporting that he was charged with aggravated assault, which is still pending.

St. Surin pleaded no contest to the assault charge related to the contact with the client. The pending felony charge involves allegations that St. Surin engaged in inappropriate, unwanted sexual conduct with a prospective client.

Maitland

David W. Veliz, Maitland, suspended for 10 days. Veliz was admitted to the bar in 1990 and prepared a will and other estate planning documents for a longtime family friend. The will improperly named Veliz's mother and sister as beneficiaries and named his mother as the personal representative of the estate.

Veliz did not realize that he was prohibited from preparing a will for an unrelated client that named his relatives as beneficiaries. After the family friend's death, Veliz's partner was hired by Veliz's mother to represent her in the administration of her estate.

Veliz's mother received her personal representative fee even though Veliz had violated a personal representative compensation disclosure law. Ultimately, Veliz's mother and sister were removed as beneficiaries and his mother reimbursed her personal representative fee to the estate.

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Florida Supreme Court disciplines Lake Worth and Boca Raton lawyers

Anna Harden

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