15 Lawyers Disciplined By Florida Supreme Court

Florida Courtroom. Credit: U.S. General Services Administration

The Florida Supreme Court in recent court orders disciplined 15 attorneys, disbarring three, suspending 11, and reprimanding one.

Najah Nzinga Adams, 5200 NW 43rd St., Suite 102-178, Gainesville, suspended for 91 days effective 31 days following a December 12 court order. (Admitted to practice: 2008). Adams was hired and paid $3,500 by a client in a paternity case. Soon after, Adams stopped responding to the client’s text messages or returning their calls. Although Adams drafted the pleadings for the paternity action, she never filed them. The client ultimately filed a pro se Petition for Paternity. The case was finalized by the client. To date, Adams has never replied to the Bar or the grievance committee investigating her. The client filed a civil suit against Adams in Alachua County small claims court and obtained a final judgment for the return of the fees paid plus costs. Adams violated the following Rules Regulating The Florida Bar: 4-1.3 Diligence; 4-1.4 Communication; 4-1.5 Fees and Costs for Legal Services; 4-3.2 Expediting Litigation; and 4-8.4(g) A lawyer shall not fail to respond, in writing, to any official inquiry by bar counsel or a disciplinary agency. 

Christopher John Atcachunas, 1270 Orange Ave., Winter Park, suspended for 91 days effective 30 days from the December 19 court order and payment of Bar costs. (Admitted to practice: 2006) Atcachunas engaged in a pattern of neglect and lack of communication in two client matters. In the second client matter, respondent made misrepresentations to the client that he had filed the lawsuit when he had never filed the lawsuit for the client.

Thomas Arthur Chandler, 5681 Bentgrass Dr., Unit 102, Sarasota, suspended effective immediately following a November 25 court order. (Admitted to practice: 1995) On September 5, 2024, Chandler pled no contest to Driving Under the Influence Third or Subsequent Conviction, a third-degree felony, in Manatee County. Respondent was adjudicated guilty and sentenced to 30 days Manatee County Jail with credit for all time served including time spent in a residential treatment program, to be followed by five years of probation. 

Kenneth Chesebro, P.O. Box 9116, San Juan, PR, interim felony suspension effective 31 days following an October 28 court order. (Admitted to practice: 2009) In August 2023, Chesebro was indicted in Georgia for multiple charges related to election interference. On October 20, 2023, Chesebro pled guilty to one felony count of conspiracy to commit filing false documents. Chesebro was sentenced to five years probation with conditions. The Bar filed a Notice of Determination or Judgment of Guilt and Chesebro was suspended pending disposition of the case. 

Suzanne DeWitt, 600 Brickell Ave., Suite 2500, Miami, suspended for two years effective 30 days following a December 12 court order. (Admitted to practice: 1999) A court order was entered against DeWitt in a civil lawsuit for breach of fiduciary duties related to manipulating corporate structures and providing false information in real estate transactions, which gave rise to the disciplinary proceeding.

Suzanne DeWitt, 600 Brickell Ave., Suite 2500, Miami, suspended for two years effective 30 days following a December 12 court order. (Admitted to practice: 1999) A court order was entered against DeWitt in a civil lawsuit for breach of fiduciary duties related to manipulating corporate structures and providing false information in real estate transactions, which gave rise to the disciplinary proceeding.

Mercedes Gonzalez Hale, 2009 Osprey Ln., Suite 107, Lutz, disbarred effective immediately following a November 27 court order, as Hale was already suspended. (Admitted to practice: 1992) Hale abandoned her clients’ legal matters and failed to participate in the disciplinary proceeding. Hale previously received a public reprimand for failure to respond to an official Bar inquiry and was subsequently suspended for the same conduct.

Ryan M. Layton, 631 Lucerne Ave., #90, Lake Worth, suspended for one year effective 30 days following a November 27 court order. (Admitted to practice: 2002) Layton neglected a number of his clients’ cases, failed to keep the clients reasonably informed about the status of their cases, and failed to diligently progress some of his clients’ cases.

Jean Gerard Legagneur, Jr., 1575 West Ave., Apt. 6., Miami Beach, permanently disbarred, effective 30 days following a November 26 court order. (Admitted to practice: 2001) On February 16, 2022, Legagneur pleaded guilty to one count of Issuing a False Financial Statement, a misdemeanor, in New York, which requires an intent to defraud. During his plea colloquy, Legagneur admitted, under oath and with the assistance of counsel, that he was guilty as charged, and affirmed he was entering the plea because he was in fact guilty. Legagneur went on to execute three affidavits of judgment of confession acknowledging the misconduct and unequivocally confessing judgment to specific monetary amounts to the victims. 

Roberto Masud, 3390 Mary St., Suite 116, Miami, disbarred with leave to reapply in 10 years, effective immediately following a November 27 court order. (Admitted to practice: 1989) Masud was emergency suspended on June 16, 2022. Masud served as a third-party escrow agent for a purchase and sale agreement, and $864,000 was wired to his trust account to be held in escrow. Per the escrow agreement, the funds could only be disbursed upon the approval of both parties. Approximately two months later, representatives from both companies sent a joint Notice of Termination of Escrow Agreement to Masud and requested that the funds be returned to the buyer. However, Masud had already disbursed and/or transferred the entire amount of the funds within three days of receipt. None of the recipients were parties to the escrow agreement.

Curtis Dee Mendenhall, P.O. Box 622112, Orlando, suspended for 91 days and required to show proof of rehabilitation, effective 30 days following a November 27 court order.  (Admitted to practice: 1998) Mendenhall was appointed by the Office of Criminal Conflict and Civil Regional Counsel to represent a woman in a felony case originating in Citrus County. Mendenhall made inappropriate sexual remarks to the client, which resulted in a conflict of interest. Mendenhall had a prior public reprimand for similar misconduct. 

Adam J. Rack, 7926 E. Via Bonita, Scottsdale, AZ, public reprimand and ordered to complete two CLEs effective immediately following a November 27 court order. (Admitted to practice: 2003) This is a three-count reciprocal case from Arizona. Rack represented multiple clients in three separate personal injury cases. In Count I, Rack settled the client’s liability case but terminated representation prior to settling the underinsured motorist claim. The client retained new counsel. Rack held her recovered funds in trust for 18 months before filing an interpleader. In Count II, Rack had the clients sign contingency fee agreements and joint representation waivers. The fee agreement held the clients jointly and severally liable for all fees, which was against the Arizona rules regarding reasonable fees. In Count III, Rack represented the driver and passengers in the case. Rack withdrew from representation of the driver once fault was placed, and the passengers terminated his representation. In arbitration regarding his fees, Rack provided time sheets that did not show accurate amounts of time spent for tasks, contained questionable entries, and time was billed after the representation was terminated. Rack was found to have violated Ariz. R. Sup. Ct., ER 1.3 (diligence), and ER 1.15(d) and (e) (safekeeping of property), ER 1.7(conflict of interest), ER 1.16(d) (declining or terminating representation), and ER 1.5(a) (fees).

Kirk Bradley Reams, 11102 Salt Rd., Lamont, interim felony suspension, effective 30 days following an October 7 court order. (Admitted to practice: 2010) Reams was convicted of one count of grand theft (over $20,000), a second-degree felony, in violation of F.S. 812.014(2)(b)(1).

Susan Rachel Torres, 7750 SW 117th Ave., Suite 202B, Miami, suspended effective 30 days following a December 18 court order. (Admitted to practice: 2011) Torres failed to file a response to Order to Show Cause dated October 30, 2024.

Gabriel F.V. Warren, 1560 Hickory Ave., Tallahassee, interim felony suspension, effective 30 days following an August 19 court order. (Admitted to practice: 2010) On June 20, 2024, Warren pled nolo contendre to one count of unlawful use of a two-way wireless communications device, to facilitate or further the commission of any felony.

Sarah Savannah Warren, 1560 Hickory Ave., Tallahassee, interim felony suspension, effective 30 days following an August 19 court order. (Admitted to practice: 2011) On June 20, 2024, Warren pled nolo contendre to one count of unlawful use of a two-way wireless communications device, to facilitate or further the commission of any felony.