The Florida Supreme Court has disciplined 12 attorneys in recent orders, disbarring three, suspending seven, and reprimanding two, according to a community announcement.
The actions were taken between July 27 and Aug. 28. The Florida Bar, the state agency responsible for regulating the legal profession, said the disciplinary measures are part of its ongoing efforts to uphold ethical standards among its more than 115,000 members.
Details of disciplinary actions
Boca Raton
Grant A. Baros, Jr., was suspended until further order of the court. Baros was held in contempt for failing to respond to official inquiries from The Florida Bar.
Delray Beach
Vincent Richard Milione, II, received an interim felony suspension. Milione was arrested and charged with domestic battery by strangulation and felony battery.
The charges are pending.
Orlando
William G. Hicks, who practices federal immigration law in Florida, received a public reprimand and was required to attend Ethics School. Hicks delayed responding to Bar inquiries because of illness.
Miami
Christine Marie Humphrey was suspended for 90 days. Humphrey charged a client a non-refundable retainer but failed to take significant action on the case and did not communicate properly with the client. She later paid an arbitration award and was deemed eligible to return to practice.
Altamonte Springs
Jeffrey Rice Hussey was suspended for 91 days. Hussey was held in contempt for failing to submit a sworn affidavit attesting that he notified clients, opposing counsel, and tribunals of his suspension.
Gainesville
Gabe Kaimowitz was permanently disbarred. Kaimowitz had been disbarred in 2016 and was found in contempt for attempting to represent clients despite his disbarment.
Lighthouse Point
Divya Khullar was disbarred. Khullar failed to comply with court orders to remove all indications of his attorney status after a previous suspension.
Longwood
Larry Edward Powers, III, was disbarred. Powers assisted his father, a former lawyer with a revoked license, in attempting to gain unauthorized access to visit a family member in jail. He also failed to respond to Bar inquiries.
St. Pete Beach
Steven Klaus Teuber was suspended following a felony conviction. Teuber was convicted of aggravated stalking and installation of tracking devices.
Austin, Texas
George Crosby Gaskell, III, was suspended for three years. Gaskell was held in contempt for failing to submit the required affidavit certifying that he notified clients, opposing counsel, and tribunals of his suspension.
Seoul, Korea
Hee Bum Michael Kim was suspended for one year. Kim was held in contempt for failing to submit a sworn affidavit attesting that he notified clients, opposing counsel, and tribunals of his suspension.
Canton, Ohio
Howard L. Wernow received a public reprimand. Wernow failed to communicate with a client before accepting representation in a patent infringement case.
Disciplinary process and public records
The Florida Bar and its Division of Lawyer Regulation administer a statewide disciplinary system to enforce rules of professional conduct. Key discipline case files that are public record are posted to attorneys’ individual online Florida Bar profiles, according to the announcement.
Court orders are not final until the 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 attorneys may not reapply for admission for five years and must undergo a rigorous background check and retake the bar exam. Attorneys suspended for 91 days or longer must also prove rehabilitation before returning to practice.
For more information on the discipline system or to file a complaint, visit www.floridabar.org/attorneydiscipline.
The Florida Bar was founded in 1949 and is one of the nation’s largest mandatory bars. It operates as an official arm of the Florida Supreme Court.
This story was created by web producer Michele Kelley (mkelley@pbpost.com) with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Florida Supreme Court disciplines 2 attorneys from Palm Beach County
