TALLAHASSEE (Florida Record) — Longtime Milton attorney Randall Albert Werre faces suspension following a Sept. 12 Florida Supreme Court order over allegations he mishandled two client matters, according to a recent announcement by The Florida Bar.
"Hired by a client to handle a bankruptcy, Werre did not communicate with the client, who terminated his legal services," the state bar said in its Sept. 26 announcement of the discipline and the Supreme Court's order. "Werre failed to return the client's legal documents as well."
In the other client matter, Werre had been hired to handle a child's name change before the beginning of a school year," according to the announcement.
"Werre took no action for more than a year," the announcement said. "In both cases, he failed to respond to Florida Bar inquiries."
In its two-page unanimous order, the Supreme Court approved the uncontested referee's report filed in the matter before suspending Werre for a year and ordered him to pay about $1,808 in costs.
Werre also will be required to take the ethics portion of the state bar examination before he is reinstated.
Werre's suspension will be effective 30 days from the date of the court's order to allow him time to close out his practice and protect his existing clients' interests, according to the high court's order.
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 Werre's suspension.
Werre was admitted to the bar in Florida on May 24, 1984, according to his profile at the state bar website.
In the allegations against him, Werre was alleged to have violated professional conduct rules regarding diligence, communication, expediting litigation, protecting a client's interest, conduct prejudicial to the administration of justice and responding to the state bar, according to the referee's report.
In a previous discipline, Werre received a public reprimand administered by a referee following a June 2015 Supreme Court order over allegations he failed to diligently represent clients, to expedite their litigation and to adequately communicate. In that discipline Werre was ordered to pay a total of $2,659 in restitution to two clients.