TALLAHASSEE -- A disbarred lawyer is suing his legal counsel for allegedly allowing his license to expire and causing him to be disbarred.
Keith Halpern filed a lawsuit on Oct. 25 in Leon County Circuit Court against Richard A. Greenberg, a shareholder in the firm Remberger, Kirk and Caldwell, as well as Florida Professional Association and its affiliated entities, owners, shareholders, principals, agents, beneficiaries and assigns.
The lawsuit alleges gross negligence and negligence.
According to the complaint, Halpern hired Defendants in January 2017 to pursue an elective filing with respect to Halpern's law license that was up to become temporarily inactive. Defendants failed to explain the nature of the Florida Bar request for a joint filing of Halpern's inactive status and recommended that inactive status was a good measure to take effect in July 2017, the suit says.
Halpern was told he would be able to return to practicing law once his license was valid. The Florida Bar complained that the trust account records from Halpern's office manager were not timely entered because of a series of incompetent bookkeepers, and Halpern alleges Greenberg did not perform vital discovery activities into the paper records kept, the suit says.
The Florida Bar recommended that Halpern be disbarred due to the records issue which went into effect on Oct. 24, 2019. Halpern was caused to suffer loss of profession, finances, stability, ability to earn a living, emotional and mental injury resulting in pain and suffering.
Halpern seeks compensation for general, special, incidental and consequential damages, medical expenses, travel and travel-related expenses, emotional distress, pharmaceutical expenses, lost wages, punitive damages and court costs. Halpern is representing himself.
Second Judicial Circuit Court for Leon County filing number 137241331