Headline Surfer illustration / TOP: Bradley Nephase Laurent, an Orlando attorney has received an emergency suspension, according to the Florida Bar, effective 30 days following a July 14 Florida Supreme Court court order preventing him from accepting new clients as of that July 14 edict. LEFT: Laurent is with the Law Offices of Haynes & Laurent P.A., 8615 Commodity Circle, Suite 6, Orlando.
By HENRY FREDERICK / Headline Surfer
ORLANDO, Fla. -- The Florida Bar has issued an emergency suspension of an Orlando attorney effective 30 days following a July 14 court order.
That suspension for Bradley Nephase Laurent, 8615 Commodity Circle, Suite 6, bars him from accepting new clients as of July 14.
Laurent, who was admitted to practice in 2005, misappropriated client funds from his law office trust account, some of which he repaid from the proceeds of a Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) loan he obtained on behalf of his law firm for COVID-19 relief, according to the Florida Bar. (Case No: SC22-851)
The action taken against attorney Bradley Nephase Laurent was among six orders issued from June 18 to July 21 of this year.
The Florida Bar, the state’s guardian for the integrity of the legal profession, announced that the Florida Supreme Court in recent court orders disciplined six attorneys, including Laurent.
Of the six attorneys, Laurent and two others were suspended, and three others were disbarred. In addition to Laurent, here are disciplinary rulings issued for the five other attorneys in the Sunshine State:
• Timmy W. Cox, Sr., 7401 S.W. 16th St., Plantation, suspended effective immediately following a July 13 court order. Cox, who was admitted to practice in 2014, failed to respond to official Florida Bar inquiries. The Bar filed its petition for contempt and order to show Cause on April 29. The Florida Supreme Court then ordered Cox to show cause by May 18. Cox failed to file a response to the court’s Order to Show Cause. (Case No: SC22-598)
• James F. Feuerstein, III, 22724 Stallion Dr., Sorrento, disbarred
• John Hadsall, 18198 3rd St. E., Redington Shores, disbarred, effective 30 days following a July 7 court order. Hadsall, who was admitted to practice in 1980, was found to have improperly transferred assets from the estate of his mother for personal use. He failed to show by clear, satisfactory, and convincing evidence that he acted in good faith throughout the transactions and failed to show that his mother acted freely, intelligently, and voluntarily in gifting him funds from her accounts. Hadsall subsequently attempted to render himself judgment proof to thwart the estate’s attempt to recoup the funds. (Case No: SC21-1444)
• Melanie L. Johnson, 4790 Longbow Dr., Titusville, disbarred eff
• James Santos Wilkie, 1333 S. Ocean Blvd., Suite 1323, Pompano Beach, emergency suspended effective immediately following a July 19 court order. Wilkie, who was admitted to practice in 2013, misappropriated client settlement funds and made misrepresentations to the Bar during its investigation. Case No: SC22-911)
The Florida Supreme Court, The Florida Bar, and its Department of Lawyer Regulation are charged with administering a statewide disciplinary system to enforce Supreme Court rules of professional conduct for the more than 110,000 members of The Florida Bar.
Key discipline case files that are public records are posted to attorneys’ individual online Florida Bar profiles.
To view discipline documents, follow these steps. Information on the discipline system and how to file a complaint are available at www.floridabar.org/
Court orders are not final until 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 lawyers may not re-apply for admission for five years. They are required to go through an extensive process that includes a rigorous background check and retaking the Forida Bar exam.
Attorneys suspended for periods of 91 days and longer must undergo a rigorous process to regain their law licenses including proving rehabilitation. Disciplinary revocation is tantamount to disbarment, according to the Florida Bar.
About The Florida Bar: Founded in 1949, The Florida Bar serves the legal profession for the protection and benefit of both the public and all Florida lawyers. As one of the nation’s largest mandatory bars, The Florida Bar fosters and upholds a high standard of integrity and competence within Florida’s legal profession as an official arm of the Florida Supreme Court. To learn more, please visit FloridaBar.
About the Byline Writer: Henry Frederick is a member of the working press and publisher of Headline Surfer, the award-winning 24/7 internet news outlet launched in 2008 along the I-4 tourism corridor in greater Daytona Beach to Orlando from Lake Mary, Florida via HeadlineSurfer.com. Frederick has amassed 115 award-winning bylines in print & online. He earned his Master of Arts in New Media Journalism from Full Sail University in 2019. He was a breaking news reporter (metro cops & courts beat) for the Daytona Beach News-Journal for nearly a decade. And Before that worked the same beat for The Journal-News/Gannett Suburban Newspapers in Rockland/Westchester counties, NY, dating back to 1989. Having witnessed the execution of serial killer Aileen Wuornos in Florida's death chamber and covering other high-profile cases such as the George Zimmerman murder trial, Frederick has appeared on national crime shows on Discovery ID, Reelz, and the Oxygen Network series "Snapped" for his analysis. AWJ: