The Florida Supreme Court has disbarred Coral Gables attorney Scot Strems, saying he grossly mismanaged his law firm, engaged in professional misconduct and repeatedly filed “frivolous” insurance claims.
In a Dec. 22 ruling in two Florida Bar complaints against Strems, the high court agreed with findings of fact submitted by a referee in both cases, but justices stopped short of saying that the attorney should be permanently disbarred.
“Although (Strems) has certainly engaged in ethically questionable behavior, he has not demonstrated that he is not amenable to rehabilitation,” the court’s opinion states. “Permanent disbarment is warranted only where an attorney’s conduct indicates he or she engages in a persistent course of unrepentant and egregious misconduct and is beyond redemption.”
In addition to being disbarred for “cumulative misconduct,” Strems was ordered to pay legal costs in the amount of more than $45,500.
Strems was the sole partner in the Strems Law Firm (SLF), which by 2016 had only three litigation attorneys but was managing 700 cases, the opinion states.
“SLF’s inadequate staffing and lack of sufficient office procedures resulted in client neglect, case dismissals, frustrated judges and costly sanctions on a near weekly basis,” the court said.
Strems’ attorney, Benedict Kuehne, told the Florida Record that his client still wants to find a way to contribute to the legal profession.
“Scot intends to ask the Florida Supreme Court to reconsider the severity of the sanctions based on his long track record of doing the right thing under often difficult circumstances,” Kuehne said. “His prior unblemished career should merit an opportunity to prove his value to the profession and the public.”
Strems was deeply disappointed in the high court’s disbarment decision, according to Kuehne.
“For his entire career, Scot dedicated his professional endeavors to helping wronged homeowners pursue their legitimate grievances against insurance companies that refused to pay for damages to their homes,” Kuehne said. “He has never intentionally or purposely violated Bar rules.”
Kuehne noted that the referee who considered the evidence pointed to Strems’ lack of prior difficulties with Bar rules and had recommended a two-year suspension.
“Scot knows that fighting insurance companies in Florida’s courts is difficult,” Kuehne said. “He did that every day with honesty and integrity, seeking justice for his clients. He worked together with other talented lawyers to hold the insurance companies accountable for their misconduct.”