TALLAHASSEE (Florida Record) — Englewood attorney Christopher Louis Brady has been permanently disbarred following a July 11 Florida Supreme Court after he allegedly burglarized his former employer's premises last summer, according to a recent announcement by The Florida Bar.
In its single-page order, the Supreme Court approved the uncontested referee's report filed in the matter before disbarring Brady and ordered him to pay a little more than $3,634 in costs. The high court placed Brady on emergency suspension in January, which meant his disbarment was effective immediately. 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 Brady's disbarment.
Brady was admitted to the bar in Florida on April 22, 2013, according to his profile at the state bar website. No prior discipline before the state bar is listed on Brady's state bar profile.
Brady was fired as an associate from Barak Law Group in July of last year for missing hearings and "odd and concerning behavior," according to a referee’s report and the state bar's July 26 announcement of his disbarment.
"Afterward, he began holding himself out as the owner of Barak Law Group and contacted opposing counsel on several of the law firm's cases to advise them to no longer communicate with owner Anthony Barak regarding their cases," the state bar's announcement said.
The following August, Brady and his twin brother, Matthew Brady, who is not an attorney, allegedly burglarized the law firm's office and the firm’s storage unit and stole a safe and a computer server, according to the announcement and the referee's report.
"Criminal charges still were pending against Brady and his brother at the time the bar's case was concluded," the announcement said. "Despite an injunction obtained by Barak, [Christopher] Brady continued filing unauthorized papers and pleadings on behalf of clients of Barak Law Group while holding himself out as being affiliated with the law firm. He also represented his brother in an unrelated family law matter and filed at least six documents wherein the signature block showed his affiliation with Barak Law Group in direct violation of the injunction."
A circuit court held Christopher Brady in contempt three times for violating the injunction, the referee’s report said.