The Florida Supreme Court in recent court orders disciplined eighteen attorneys, disbarring five, revoking the license of four, suspending eight, and reprimanding one.
Karim Batista, 4531 Ponce De Leon Blvd., Suite 200, Coral Gables, disciplinary revocation with leave to seek readmission after five years effective 30 days following a May 28 court order. (Admitted to Practice: 2013) In six separate domestic relations and civil matters, Batista failed to adhere to the professional standards of conduct. In two matters, he failed to return unearned fees in a timely manner, failed to communicate, and lacked diligence. In three matters, Batista acted negligently, failed to keep accurate trust account records, and misappropriated trust funds. Batista sought disciplinary revocation promptly and made full restitution.
Aram Caldarera Bloom, 10800 Biscayne Blvd., Suite 600, Miami, disbarred effective immediately following a June 2 court order. (Admitted to Practice: 2009) Bloom was held in contempt for failing to submit a sworn affidavit pursuant to Rule 3-5.1(h) attesting to notifying clients, opposing counsel, and tribunals of his suspension. The disbarment is effective immediately as Bloom was previously suspended.
Cydnee Brown, 225 E. Jennings St., Tallahassee, suspended for 30 days effective 30 days following a June 4 court order. (Admitted to Practice: 2005) Brown was retained in two felony criminal cases for one client. Brown failed to appear at six of the nine hearings set during the representation. She also failed to communicate with the client.
Michael Paul Brundage, 100 Main St. Suite 204, Safety Harbor, Disciplinary revocation without leave to seek readmission effective immediately following a June 25 order. (Admitted to Practice: 1986) Brundage was under a three-year suspension ordered in Case No. SC2022-0595 when The Florida Bar opened an investigation on a report that petitioner was secretly advising and ghost-writing bankruptcy documents for a former client in the Middle District of Florida. At a hearing held on April 7, 2026, the former client disclosed to the bankruptcy judge a packet of information that included a written memorandum from petitioner in which he detailed the arguments the client should make pro se to the judge on legal matters relating to the bankruptcy case and advised him to make misrepresentations to the judge. Brundage had approximately one year remaining on his three-year suspension at the time of these events. When confronted with these allegations by The Florida Bar, petitioner filed his petition for disciplinary revocation.
Kenneth Chesebro, P.O. Box 9116, San Juan, PR, public reprimand effective immediately following a June 11 court order. (Admitted to Practice: 2009) In August 2023, Chesebro was indicted in Georgia for multiple charges related to election interference. He pled guilty on October 20, 2023, to one felony count of conspiracy to commit filing false documents. The conviction has since been fully discharged under Georgia’s First Offender Act. Given these facts, the Florida Supreme Court lifted a previous felony suspension order, issued a public reprimand, and directed Chesebro to attend The Florida Bar’s Ethics School.
Jacqueline Kelley Davis, 486 Lancers Dr., Winter Springs, suspended for one year effective 30 days following a June 4 court order. (Admitted to Practice: 2001) Davis engaged in conduct wherein she lacked competency, diligence, and took actions prejudicial to the administration of justice in connection with her representation of clients in legal proceedings and failed to respond to the Bar’s investigative inquiries in a timely manner.
Amanda Marie Guerrant, 10749 Crossback Ln., Lehigh Acres, suspended for one year effective immediately following a June 2 court order. (Admitted to Practice: 2015) Guerrant is held in contempt and suspended for one year for failing to submit an affidavit pursuant to Rule 3-5.1(h) certifying that she had notified all clients, opposing counsel, and tribunals of her suspension. The one-year suspension is effective immediately as Guerrant was previously suspended.
Michael Herman Hoffman, 1810 W. 24th Ave., Eugene, OR, disciplinary revocation without leave to apply for readmission effective 30 days following a June 25 order. (Admitted to Practice: 1997) Hoffman previously entered into a disciplinary resignation in Oregon. He was facing allegations of engaging in a sexual relationship with a client during the representation, disclosing confidential information, and failing to present a complete settlement offer to a client.
Marsha Sharlene Johnson, 372 Crescent Blvd., St Augustine, suspended until she has responded in writing to the official Florida Bar inquiry, and until further order of the court, effective 30 days following a May 29 court order. (Admitted to Practice: 2012) Johnson was held in contempt for her failure to respond to official Bar inquiries and the court’s order to show cause.
Drew Mark Levitt, 31 Sabal Island Dr., Ocean Ridge, suspended for three years effective 30 days following a June 4 court order. (Admitted to Practice: 1988) Levitt and co-counsel Lee Sarkin represented a plaintiff in multiple Americans with Disabilities Act lawsuits. Sarkin and Levitt settled two separate cases in December 2021, after their client’s death. In the first case, the defendant moved to have the settlement vacated upon independently learning of the plaintiff’s death over a year later. The court found that because the settlement had been reached after the plaintiff’s death, the settlement was unauthorized and Levitt and Sarkin’s conduct constituted fraud on the court. Both were referred to the Grievance Committee for the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, which sanctioned Levitt and suspended him for nine months. In the second case, Levitt and Sarkin failed to inform the defendants of the plaintiff’s death; however, Levitt and Sarkin returned the settlement funds without the need for court intervention after the defendants became aware of the plaintiff’s death.
Gregory Michael Nordt, 5900 SW 13th St., Plantation, disbarred effective immediately following a May 29 court order. (Admitted to Practice: 1995) Nordt was held in contempt for failing to submit a sworn affidavit pursuant to Rule 3-5.1(h) attesting to notifying clients, opposing counsel, and tribunals of his suspension. The disbarment is effective immediately as Nordt was previously suspended.
Larry Edward Powers III, 2126 Woodbridge Rd., Longwood, suspended for 91 days effective immediately following a May 29 court order. (Admitted to Practice: 2018) Powers was held in contempt for failing to submit a sworn affidavit pursuant to Rule 3-5.1(h) attesting to notifying clients, opposing counsel, and tribunals of his suspension. The 91-day suspension is effective immediately as Powers was previously suspended.
Melinda Paniagua Riddle, 2426 S. 60th St., West Allis, WI, disciplinary revocation with leave to apply for readmission effective 30 days following a June 25 order. (Admitted to Practice: 1987) Riddle represented two professional guardians caring for approximately 40 total wards. In each case filings indispensable to guardianship cases such as inventories and accountings were filed untimely, were incomplete, or were not filed at all. After a special master review of the guardianship docket, it was recommended that the guardians and the attorney be removed from their positions. Riddle submitted a petition for disciplinary revocation of her Florida Bar membership in response to an investigation into the representation she provided to the two guardians and their wards.
Bonita M. Riggens, P.O. Box 58, St. Petersburg, disbarred effective immediately following an April 30 court order. (Admitted to Practice: 1984) Riggens failed to diligently communicate with her client and failed to diligently represent her. Additionally, Riggens failed to respond to an official Bar inquiry or participate in Bar discipline proceedings.
Christopher Rodriguez, P.O. Box 95, Panama City, disbarred effective immediately following a June 4 court order. (Admitted to Practice: 2018) Rodriguez pleaded guilty to three felonies: damaging property occupied by a foreign government, explosive materials for malicious damage to federal property, and receipt or possession of an unregistered firearm (destructive device). On March 14, 2025, he was adjudicated guilty and sentenced to 8.5 years in federal prison.
Lee David Sarkin, 4700 NW 2nd Ave., Suite 302, Boca Raton, suspended for three years effective 30 days following a June 4 court order. (Admitted to Practice: 1992) Sarkin and co-counsel Drew M. Levitt represented a plaintiff in multiple Americans with Disabilities Act lawsuits. Sarkin and Levitt settled two separate cases in December 2021, after their client’s death. In the first case, the defendant moved to have the settlement vacated upon independently learning of the plaintiff’s death over a year later. The court found that because the settlement had been reached after the plaintiff’s death, the settlement was unauthorized and Levitt and Sarkin’s conduct constituted fraud on the court. Both were referred to the Grievance Committee for the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, which sanctioned Sarkin and suspended him for nine months. In the second case, Levitt and Sarkin failed to inform the defendants of the plaintiff’s death; however, Levitt and Sarkin returned the settlement funds without the need for court intervention after the defendants became aware of the plaintiff’s death.
Jared Sonnenklar, 2390 NW 107th Ave., Miami, suspended effective 30 days following a June 1 court order. (Admitted to Practice: 2015) Based upon Sonnenklar’s failure to respond to multiple official Bar inquiries, the court found him in contempt and ordered that Sonnenklar be suspended until such time as he fully responds to investigative inquiries promulgated by The Florida Bar.
Mendel Zilberberg, 206 Grandview Ave., Monsey, NY, permanent disbarment effective immediately following a June 4 court order. (Admitted to Practice: 1997) Zilberberg was convicted on federal charges of Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud, Bank Fraud, Conspiracy to Make False Statements to a Bank, Making False Statements to a Bank, and Embezzlement and Misappropriation of Bank Funds. He was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison.
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