Case No. SC03-339.Supreme Court of Florida.
March 5, 2003.
Decision Without Published Opinion.
Lower Tribunal No. 2003-31,230(05B)(CES)
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 Deposit any fees, or other sums received in connection with the practice of law, paid to the respondent during the first 30 days after issuance of this Court’s order of emergency suspension into a specified trust account from which withdrawal may only be made in accordance with restrictions imposed by this Court, and furthermore, to notify Staff Counsel of The Florida Bar of the receipt and location of said funds.
c. To furnish a copy of this Court’s order of emergency suspension to all clients as required by Rule Regulating The Florida Bar 3-5.1(g) and to furnish to Staff Counsel of The Florida Bar, within 30 days after receipt of this Court’s order, the requisite affidavit listing all clients informed of this Court’s order of suspension.
d. To refrain from withdrawing any money 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 Discipline Counsel of The Florida Bar of his intention to withdraw funds and Chief Branch Discipline Counsel approves the withdrawal.
e. To immediately notify in writing all banks and financial institutions in which respondent maintains an account related to the practice of law of the provisions of his suspension and to provide said banks and financial institutions with a copy of this Court’s order, and furthermore, to provide Chief Branch Discipline Counsel with a copy of the notice sent to each bank or 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, and furthermore, to notify Chief Branch Discipline Counsel of The Florida Bar of his intent to transfer owership 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 to a single, specific business address during normal working hours to receive such requests.
Not final until time expires to file motion for rehearing and, if filed determined. The filing of a motion for rehearing shall not alter the effective date of this suspension.
ANSTEAD, C.J., and WELLS, PARIENTE, LEWIS, QUINCE, CANTERO and BELL, JJ., concur.