Opinion
Case No.: SC02-2418.
November 22, 2002.
Lower Tribunal No.: 2003-30,743(09A)(CES)
Decision Without Published Opinion
The Petition for Emergency Suspension filed pursuant to Rule 3-5.2 of the Rules Regulating The Florida Bar is granted and it is hereby ordered that the respondent is suspended from the practice of law until further order of this Court, and respondent (or an attorney acting on respondent's behalf) is ordered:
a. To accept no new clients from the date of this Court's order and to cease representing any clients after 30 days.
b. To immediately furnish a copy of respondent's suspension order to all clients and to furnish Staff Counsel of The Florida Bar with the requisite affidavit listing all clients so informed within 30 days after issuance of this Court's order.
c. To refrain from withdrawing any monies from any trust account or other financial institution account related to his law practice until further order of this Court unless the respondent first notifies Chief Branch Disciplinary Counsel of The Florida Bar of his intention to withdraw funds and Chief Branch Counsel approves with withdrawal.
d. To deposit into a specified trust account all sums received from the practice of law, whether as fees, costs, deposits, or trust funds, within 30 days following the entry of the order of suspension in this case and thereafter, and to immediately advise Bar Counsel of the receipt and location of said funds.
e. To immediately notify in writing all financial institutions in which respondent maintains trust accounts of the provisions of respondent's suspension and to provide said financial institutions with a copy of this Court's order, and furthermore, to provide Bar Counsel with a copy of the notice sent to each financial institution.
f. To refrain from transferring the ownership of any real or personal property purchased in whole or in part with funds properly belonging to clients. Additionally, the Bar requests that the respondent be ordered to notify Chief Branch Discipline Counsel of The Florida Bar of his intent to transfer ownership of any real or personal property and to provide Chief Branch Discipline Counsel with information proving that the property to be transferred was not purchased with funds properly belonging to a client.
g. To return promptly to each client upon request, all unearned fees, deposits, expense money, documents, information and other objects or things whatsoever belonging to such client and, in order to accomplish this, to make himself available at a single, specific business address during normal working hours to receive such requests.
ANSTEAD, C.J., and SHAW, WELLS, PARIENTE, LEWIS, QUINCE, and CANTERO, JJ., concur.