Florida Bar Investigating Four Lawyers from Rothstein Firm
The Florida Bar is investigating four lawyers from the dissolved South Florida firm Rothstein Rosenfeldt Adler amid an investigation into an alleged $1 billion Ponzi scheme by name partner Scott Rothstein.
Rothstein has voluntarily surrendered his law license. Now the bar is investigating four other RRA lawyers, according to the Miami Herald and the South Florida Business Journal. They are firm co-founder Stuart Rosenfeldt, name partner Russell Adler, and lawyers David Boden and Grant Smith.
A lawyer for Rosenfeldt, Bruce Lehr, told the Miami Herald, “An investigation is exactly that. If there are findings we will have something to talk about then.” Adler’s lawyer, Fred Haddad, previously told the Orlando Sun-Sentinel that his client is blameless and “totally without any liability.”
Smith was promoted to assistant managing shareholder in October and had signature authority on some law firm accounts, the Miami Herald says. He remains at the law firm and is assisting the trustee in its dissolution. Smith’s lawyer, Neal Sonnett, says his client “has done absolutely nothing wrong” and is assisting in the investigation.
Boden is not licensed in Florida, and the bar investigation focuses on whether he was practicing law at Rothstein Rosenfeldt Adler or acting as an administrator, the Herald reports.
An investor lawsuit (PDF) alleges that Boden was the law firm’s general counsel and Rothstein’s “right-hand man.” The suit claims Boden recruited investors and drafted documents that induced them to participate in Rothstein’s scheme.
Boden’s lawyer, David Vinikoor, previously told the Sun-Sentinel that his client is cooperating in the investigation.
