TALLAHASSEE — The Florida Supreme Court ordered Atlantic Beach attorney Kelly Brook Hampton to be publicly reprimanded as a result of the attorney’s mishandling of two client matters.
In the first matter, Hampton allegedly did not communicate with his client, and in the second instance, he failed to resolve the matter she’d been hired to handle.
In March 2008, Hampton was hired to represent a woman in her personal injury case. Although the client says the attorney initially “was performing well and keeping her informed,” Hampton eventually ceased returning the client’s phone calls. The client then scheduled a meeting with the attorney during which he allegedly promised to “keep the lines of communication open.” However, after the meeting, Hampton again failed to comply with the client’s requests for status updates.
The client contacted the Florida Bar to file a complaint on Sept. 7, 2010, but the charges were initially sent to the wrong attorney. When the mistake was discovered, Hampton was served the charges but didn't respond.
In a second matter, Hampton was hired in July 2008 to help a client in an insurance claim. However, Hampton informed the client that he would also need a Georgia attorney to finish the matter. Hampton did not continue work on the case until 2013 when the client contacted her again to continue. Although she agreed to continue work, the matter remains unresolved.
Due to the nature of his misconduct, Hampton will be publicly reprimanded in a publication. He will also need to pay the court costs, which at the time of filing was $1,293.02.
Hampton is a graduate of the Florida Coastal School of Law and was admitted to the Florida Bar in 2004. The attorney has a previous suspension on his record from May 2016.
Editor's note: The original version of this story incorrectly identified the attorney who received disciplinary action. The Record regrets the error.