TALLAHASSEE — Fort Myers attorney Stephanie Brunner has been disbarred following a Nov. 21 Florida Supreme Court order over allegations involving her trust account, according to a recent announcement by The Florida Bar.
"Brunner entered into a disbarment on consent, based upon allegations that she misappropriated at least $21,332.54 of client funds from her trust account," read Florida State Bar's Dec. 27 announcement of the discipline and the Supreme Court's order. "Brunner has since deposited funds into her trust account to cover the shortages and satisfy all outstanding claims."
Brunner was placed on emergency suspension in April, following a Supreme Court order, over the trust account allegations.
In its single-page order, the state Supreme Court approved a referee's report before disbarring Brunner.
Brunner was already suspended, which meant her disbarment was effective immediately. The court also ordered Brunner to pay almost $2,456 in costs.
In a previous discipline, Brunner was admonished following a March 2015 Supreme Court order for failing to clearly communicate the basis of the rate of her fee to clients, and to properly maintain trust accounting records, according to her disbarment on consent.
Brunner's failure in that matter resulted "in several instances of" her taking a fee from client settlement proceeds before the client signed a closing statements, the disbarment on consent said.
"However, there was no misappropriation of client funds or harm to clients," the disbarment on consent said.
Florida court orders are not final until time expires to final a motion for rehearing. Filing such a motion does not alter the effective date of Brunner's disbarment.
Attorneys disbarred in Florida generally cannot reapply for admission for five years and must pass an extensive process that includes a rigorous background check and retaking the bar exam.
Brunner was admitted to the bar in Florida on June 7, 1996, according to her profile at the state bar website.