Attorney Lawrence B. Wrenn Jr. of Lisle, Illinois, practicing in Florida for nearly 40 years, has been voluntarily disbarred following a Jan. 25 Florida Supreme Court order after allegations of contempt, according to a recent announcement by The Florida Bar.
"Disciplinary matters pending against Wrenn involved judicial findings of contempt and false representations under oath, and failure to appear at hearings," the state bar said in its Feb. 27 announcement of the discipline and the Supreme Court's order.
The state Supreme Court granted Wenn's petition for a disciplinary revocation with leave to seek readmission after five years, according to the court's two-page order. Wrenn's disbarment was effective immediately and he was required to pay almost $3,358 in costs, according to the high court's order.
In Florida, where disciplinary revocation is tantamount to disbarment, court orders are not final until time to file a rehearing motion expires. Attorneys disbarred in the state generally may not reapply for admission for five years. Then they must pass an extensive process that includes a rigorous background check and retaking the bar exam.
Wrenn was admitted to the Florida bar Nov. 9, 1978, according to his profile at the state bar website.
Ten counts of misconduct were pending before a referee, including judicial findings of Wrenn was in contempt and had violated orders and bankruptcy statutes, according to his petition. The state bar alleged that Wrenn improperly withheld escrow documents, that he made false representations under oath and failed to appear at hearings, according to his petition.
Wrenn faced "allegations of dishonesty, fraud, deceit or misrepresentation and excessive fees" in addition to commingling personal funds in his trust account, according to his petition.
Wrenn agreed to a state bar audit of his trust accounts, according to his petition.
In September 2016, Wrenn, whose state bar address then was in Coral Gables, was suspended until further order following a state Supreme Court order found in contempt for not responding in writing to an official inquirey in to a complaint, according to a state bar announcement in January 2017.