TALLAHASSEE (Florida Record) — Tampa attorney Michael Eric Eisenberg has been suspended following a June 26 Florida Supreme Court order after being found in contempt for noncompliance with a previous court order, according to a recent announcement by The Florida Bar.
"He failed to comply with the terms of a Feb. 6 suspension order," the state bar said in its July 31 announcement of the discipline and the Supreme Court's order. "Specifically, Eisenberg was required to notify his clients, opposing counsel and tribunals of his suspension and provide the bar, within 30 days, a sworn affidavit listing the names and addresses of all persons and entities that were furnished a copy of his suspension order."
The Supreme Court handed down the 91-day suspension as a sanction for Eisenberg failing to respond to a previous order to show cause, according to the state high court's June order. Eisenberg already was suspended, so the 91-day suspension was effective immediately.
Florida court orders are not final until time to file a rehearing motion expires. Filing such a motion would not alter the effective date of Eric Eisenberg's suspension.
Eric Eisenberg was admitted to the bar in Florida on Sept. 18, 2003, according to his profile at the state bar website.
Eisenberg was suspended for 30 days in February following a Supreme Court order after being found in contempt and order him to respond to a show cause order. Since then, Eisenberg has not provided a required affidavit with a list of persons or entities he notified of his suspension, according to the state bar's most recent petition for contempt and order to show cause. "Consequently, The Florida Bar is unaware whether [Eisenberg] notified any clients, opposing counsel and tribunals of his suspension pursuant to Rule 3-5.1(h)," the state bar's petition said.
"Due to [Eisenberg]'s non-compliance with this court's order dated Feb. 6, 2018, The Florida Bar was obligated to file this petition for contempt for noncompliance."
The state bar's petition requested that Eisenberg be held in contempt, be suspended for 91 days and that he comply with the court's order before petitioning for reinstatement. Eisenberg's suspensions stem from his failure to respond to an official state bar inquiry, according to a previous state bar petition for contempt and order to show cause.