Wake Up Call: Attorney Accuses Florida Bar of Ethics Misconduct

Welcome to Bloomberg Law’s Wake Up Call, a daily rundown of the top news for lawyers, law firms, and in-house counsel.

• Florida attorney Daniel Uhlfelder accused Florida Bar prosecutors of concealing ethics cases against two key witnesses during his misconduct trial. Uhlfelder’s motion claims the bar delayed disclosure that witnesses Marie Mattox and Gautier Kitchen were themselves facing ethics charges, which were quietly resolved with minimal penalties after they testified against him. (Florida Bulldog)
• Claire White, a Bay Area defense attorney known for her brash courtroom style and outspoken social media presence, was disbarred after pleading no contest to 40 counts of professional misconduct involving 10 clients. The California Bar accused her of misusing client funds, lying to clients and courts, failing to perform promised work, and causing significant harm—sometimes prolonging her clients’ jail time. (The Mercury News)
• Wakulla Circuit Judge J. Layne Smith apologized and recused himself from several cases after telling attorneys in court he wanted a deputy to “pull his gun and shoot” them out of frustration during a contentious estate hearing. The remark prompted a motion from two lawyers accusing Smith of “judicial intemperance” and bias. Smith later called his outburst “impulsive and unprofessional,” saying he didn’t mean it literally and had self-reported the incident to Florida’s judicial disciplinary authority. (Tallahassee Democrat)

Laterals, Moves, In-House

• Erin Hopkins joined Paul Hastings as an energy partner in Houston. He joins from Baker Botts.
• Todd Trattner joined Latham & Watkins as a partner in its emerging companies and growth practice in the Bay Area. He joins from Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher.
• Jonie Ing Kondracki joined Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati as a partner in its corporate department in San Francisco. She joins from Cooley.
• Krishna Skandakumar and Natalia Kubik joined Debevoise & Plimpton as partners in its investment management and private fund transactions groups. They join from Goodwin Procter.
• Brooke Fritz joined Foley Hoag as a partner in Denver. She joins from Cooley.