A lawyer’s nasty habit: disappearing trust funds
Tags: Brook Fisher, Florida Supreme Court, James Bond, Palm Beach, suspension
| Sunday 18 January 2009 1:45 pm
The last we heard about flamboyant lawyer Brook Fisher, his James Bond stunt to rekindle his marriage had backfired.
In March 2007, the tux-wearing Fisher was driving through Palm Beach with two guns in shoulder holsters and a 5-inch knife in the small of his back.
The getup was just to impress his Casino Royale-loving wife. It didn’t impress cops, who charged him with DUI and carrying a concealed weapon.
Now, Fisher’s back in the news.
The Florida Supreme Court suspended Fisher from practicing law for allegedly dipping into clients’ escrow accounts. And he allegedly used some clients’ funds to cover missing money from others.
We’re not talking peanuts, according to Florida Bar records. An audit of his books last year revealed a total of nearly $500,000 went missing at one point.
The Palm Beach nightscape fixture “appears to be causing great public harm by misappropriation of clients’ trust funds or property,” the Supreme Court petition against him read.
The suspension stems from three complaints. The first, brought by WPB resident Rocco Battaglia Jr., alleges that an insurance company dropped $63,500 for Battaglia into a Fisher trust account. Fisher eventually gave Battaglia $29,000, but it took more than a year for Battaglia to get the rest.
There was also a divorce case involving Wellington woman Gina Nugent. She settled for $98,000, also deposited to Fisher’s trust fund. But when she asked for her cash, Fisher announced he invested it and would pay it back a year later with interest.
The Bar’s sleuths claim Fisher used the trust funds of other clients to make good on his promise.
Finally, when Lantana accident victim Chris Kirkman received $40,000 from Geico in 2007, the audit showed that $37,000 disappeared from Fisher’s trust 10 days later. Kirkman is still waiting for his cash.
“He’s a liar who hurt dozens of people,” said Kirkman about Fisher.
Fisher’s explanation? According to his written responses to the Bar, he was following his clients’ requests that he hold onto their dough.
Neither Fisher, a 19-year courtroom veteran, nor his wife returned calls. From his office on Flager in WPB, he apparently runs a mortgage counseling service.
But things probably will get worse for Fisher, with more complaints getting filed. In November, yet another client found out that the $45,000-settlement check Fisher wrote from a trust fund bounced.
“I can’t believe he’s doing this,” said Worth Avenue store manager Natasha Pkhakadze. “We used him before, and he did his job well. Something’s going on with him.”
Fisher is facing disbarment.
I thought in WPB and PB, this type of behavior was awarded with a parade. You know what I like the best about this story. Look at how long it took for them to bust him. It has been over a year of stealing, and he is still allowed to practice law. The reason why they call it practice, is because no one could get used to doing that for a living.
No surprises here.
The funny thing is I have heard that complaints against attorneys are kept confidential until final.
So even if you ask the FLORIDA BAR if your attorney has complaints, I don’t think you can see it….even the BBB publishes complaints, why not the FLORIDA BAR?
Or actually, especially the FLORIDA BAR should publish all complaints as recieved instead if hiding them from the public from a time.
FLORIDA is a hot bed of corruption and lots of attorneys are the ringleaders….look at what happened to Bill Boose, The Ponzi guy Nadel in Sarasota who disappeared with 350 million dollars supposedly gone was a reported graduate of NYU Law School.
Bernie Madoff, the 50 billion dollar alleged thief, was an attorney I think.
Also, in Ft Lauderdale, there is another Ponzi Scam, I think its called Mutual Benefits with almost a BILLION DOLLARS missing…..and guess who ran it among the principals? Allegedly 2 attorneys named McNerney and Livoti.
And I think no less than 2 Federal Judges have now disqualified themselves from the case citing “conflicts”? Wonder what the conflicts were?
Anyone notice a pattern of attorneys using their licenses as a license to steal and defraud?
No suprise.
And of course the FLORIDA BAR is …let’s see…..Attorneys overseeing Attorneys ethical behaviour?
The Irony.
Another one the Florida Bar needs to look at is Kristine Rosendahl. This chick’s been charged with DUI and exposing her boobs to young Spring Breakers. How this woman can break the law not once but TWICE and STILL practice law is beyond me. Ahh.. such is Flori-duh!
ew wow
she may have had something back in her day, but a cougar she is not. seriously.
this kind of stuff happens all the time. Try googling Karyn McConnel Hancock.
She stole from orphans!
Hard to believe this crook would be doing this to cheat his clients. He not only needs to be barred permanently from practicing law, but needs to spend time in jail, say for 10 years at the very least. Another proof of why Billy Shakespeare said what he did about lawyers during his time.
Good point. Why no criminal charges? If you steal from someone with a gun…you go to jail. If you are a lawyer and steal from an escrow account…you only get a Florida Bar Complaint? That’s like complaining to The GodFather about the Mob stealing.
SOUNDS FAMILIAR —– WEISS & HANDLER as in HENRY HANDLER, CAROL KARTGAENER… STOLE THOUSANDS FROM EILEEN KASMAN AND HER KIDS…. LIES TO THE COURT - FILES FALSE PLEADINGS AND MOTIONS… JUDGE CROW DENIED ALL MOTIONS…. DENIED!
PARTNERS WITH CORRUPT FAMILY COURT JUDGE MARTIN COLIN….
PALM BEACH COUNTY IS A DIRTY CORRUPT PLACE…
WHERE IS THE FLORIDA BAR???
WHERE IS CHIEF JUDGE KROLL???
WHERE IS TE JQC?
WHERE IS GOV. CRIST?
A CORRUPT JUDGE MARTIN COLIN - FAMILY COURT - PALM BEACH COUNTY
[...] At least three clients over the last two years complained to the Florida Bar that Fisher wouldn’t pay them money from judgments. [...]
this guys right, email the Mayor Ms. Frankel shes real good about taking care of business and if she does nothing about Brook Fisher perhaps she is in on it.
lfrankel@wpb.org
[...] Brook Fisher, 46, was wanted on two counts of fraud for allegedly stealing clients’ money in his trust funds. [...]
nothing this crook lawyer did will outshine the shameless crookery done by nyc atty Sidney Davidoff and his ex-partner Richard c Stein..they got an unreported settlement using my information, blackmailing david pope and co..they robbed me of my inheritance and they cheated the us.gov..corrupt miami ex circuit judge israel reyes made their biddings..they belong in prison but i prefer to sue them for 35 million lost revenue plus fines and penalties..disgustingly dishonesty..