The Florida Bar

News Releases

SUPREME COURT DISCIPLINES 9 ATTORNEYS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 30, 2024
CONTACT: Jennifer Krell Davis, [email protected]
Communications

Summaries of orders issued from March 29, 2024, to April 29, 2024

The Florida Bar, the state’s guardian for the integrity of the legal profession, announces that the Florida Supreme Court in recent court orders disciplined nine attorneys, suspending five, extending the ineligibility of one and reprimanding three.

The Florida Supreme Court, The Florida Bar and its Division of Lawyer Regulation are charged with administering a statewide disciplinary system to enforce Supreme Court rules of professional conduct for the more than 111,000 members of The Florida Bar. Key discipline case files that are public record are posted to attorneys’ individual online Florida Bar profiles. To view discipline documents, follow these steps. Information on the discipline system and how to file a complaint are available at www.floridabar.org/attorneydiscipline.

Court orders are not final until time expires to file a rehearing motion and, if filed, determined. The filing of such a motion does not alter the effective date of the discipline. Disbarred lawyers may not re-apply for admission for five years. They are required to go through an extensive process that includes a rigorous background check and retaking the Bar exam. Attorneys suspended for periods of 91 days and longer must undergo a rigorous process to regain their law licenses including proving rehabilitation. Disciplinary revocation is tantamount to disbarment.

Roger Barry Davis, 136 Golden Isles Dr., Suite 202, Hallandale Beach, emergency suspension effective immediately following an April 22 court order. (Admitted to practice: 1973) Davis misappropriated trust funds related to two separate client matters. (Case No. SC2024-0501)

Lee Neil Feinberg, 934 N. University Dr., #140, Coral Springs, public reprimand effective immediately following an April 18 court order. (Admitted to practice: 1992) In November 2019, Feinberg was charged with felony aggravated assault with a deadly weapon following a road rage incident, which he self-reported to the bar. In June 2022, Feinberg pled to the first-degree misdemeanor of improper exhibition of a weapon. (Case No. SC2024-0505)

Don Gonzalez, 1820 N. Corporate Lakes Blvd., Suite 206, Weston, suspended until further order of the court, effective 30 days following an April 23 court order. (Admitted to practice: 1993) The Florida Bar filed a petition for contempt and 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. (Case No. SC2024-0239)

Amanda Marie Guerrant, 10749 Crossback Ln., Lehigh Acres, held in contempt and publicly reprimanded effective immediately following an April 29 court order. (Admitted to practice: 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. (Case No. SC24-0198)

Frantz C. Nelson, 6100 Hollywood Blvd., Suite 520, Hollywood, suspended for 30 days, effective 30 days following an April 5 court order. (Admitted to practice: 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. (Case No. SC2023-0669)

Michael D.P. Phillips,10804 Royal Caribbean Circle, Boynton Beach, suspended for 90 days effective 30 days following an April 18 court order. (Admitted to practice: 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. (Case No. SC2024-0503)

Gregory Eric Schwartz, 3876 Sheridan St., Hollywood, ineligibility to seek readmission to The Florida Bar extended by one year, effective immediately following an April 18 court order. (Admitted to practice: 1996) 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. (Case No. SC2024-0502)

James Alfred Stanley, Jr., 1904 University Blvd. W., Jacksonville, 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 effective 30 days following an April 26 court order. (Admitted to practice: 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. (Case No. SC2024-0593)

Timothy Wayne Terry, 501 N. Magnolia Ave., Orlando, public reprimand and completion of Ethics School within six months of the date of the order, effective immediately following an April 18 court order. (Admitted to practice: 1981) Terry failed to diligently pursue his client’s dissolution matter or adequately communicate with her from approximately 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. (Case No. SC2024-0041)

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