TALLAHASSEE (Florida Record) – Key Biscayne attorney Salina Jivani has been publicly reprimanded following an Aug. 2 Florida Supreme Court order over alleged inappropriate contact with another attorney's clients, according to a recent announcement by The Florida Bar.
"Jivani directly communicated with individuals represented by counsel outside of their counsel's presence," the state bar said in its Aug. 31 announcement of the discipline and the Supreme Court's order.
In its single-page order, the high court approved the uncontested referee's report filed in the matter before reprimanding Jivani and ordered her to pay approximately $1,850 in costs.
Florida court orders are not final until time to file a rehearing motion expires. Filing such a motion does not alter the effective date of Jivani's reprimand.
Jivani was admitted to the bar in Florida on Dec. 20, 2007, according to her profile at the state bar website. No prior discipline before the state bar is listed on Jivani's state bar profile.
Jivani stipulated to having violated a professional conduct rule regarding communication with a person represented by counsel, according to the referee's report filed with the court.
Allegations against Jivani stemmed from representation of the defendant in a case before Miami-Dade County 11th Judicial Circuit Court beginning in 2015. In March of the following year, Jivani attended a special assessment board meeting for the plaintiff association during which she referred to a doctor attending the meeting as "the abortion doctor," according to the referee's report.
"Ms. Jivani's comment had no relevance to the issues to be raised at the meeting," the referee's report said. "Ms. Jivani's comments, whether knowingly or with callous indifference, did disparage, humiliate, and/or discriminate against a third person."
The board president, a plaintiff in the case, "emphatically expressed her discomfort" at Jivani's presence at the meeting, during which Jivani introduced herself as defense counsel in the case. During the meeting, Jivani communicated with board members about the pending litigation over the president's objections, according to the referee's report.
When the president advised Jivani that she would contact the police to have Jivani removed, "Jivani replied, 'do it and see what happens'," the referee's report said.
Later that month, the association's attorney filed a motion for contempt and sanctions against Jivani.