Florida Bar Summaries April 2025

Highlights of the April 2025 discipline summaries of The Florida Bar

Shayne Jeremiah Epstein, 2295 NW Corporate Blvd., Suite 215, Boca Raton, public reprimand to be published in the Southern Reporter effective immediately following a March 20 court order. (Admitted to practice: 2001) Epstein ran a recruiting company that focused on foreign nationals getting jobs in the U.S. and had a law office that did immigration work. One individual was a client of the recruiting company, which placed the foreign national in a job, and of the law firm, which was retained to secure the individual’s green card. The client was not informed of the potential conflict of interest at the outset of his legal representation, nor was he informed of his right to seek outside counsel. (Case No. SC24-1739)

Maurice DeShawn Hinton, 333 Las Olas Way, Suite 429-430, Ft. Lauderdale, suspended for two years and must receive Florida Lawyer’s Assistance, Inc., evaluation prior to petitioning for reinstatement, effective immediately following a February 13 court order. (Admitted to practice: 2006) Hinton neglected client matters and failed to properly communicate with multiple clients. In one instance, Hinton engaged in a sexual relationship with a client, and after the relationship ended, he neglected the client’s matter and failed to communicate with the client. Hinton also engaged in the practice of law while under a delinquency for membership fees and continuing legal education requirements. Additionally, Hinton failed to respond to The Florida Bar during the disciplinary proceedings. (Case No. SC2024-0453)

Chance McClain, 1250 Old Dixie Hwy., Suite 8, Lake Park, disbarred effective 30 days following a March 20 court order. (Admitted to practice: 2011) McClain represented his mother, Dominique Barteet, in a civil matter. The opposing party received a final judgment against Barteet. The opposing party learned that Barteet had transferred her Mercedes Benz to McClain for $0, which ultimately led to McClain’s disqualification from the case. The Mercedes transfer was voided in 2017, and the court further found that McClain’s testimony that the transfer was payment for attorney’s fees was “not credible and was contradicted by sworn statements previously made by McClain and Defendant.” The findings were upheld on appeal. In a second case, McClain was again disqualified from representing Barteet. Despite this disqualification, McClain continued to act as Barteet’s attorney by answering legal questions and authoring pleadings that Barteet then filed pro se. The court found that McClain’s disobedience of the disqualification order was “willful, deliberate and contumacious” and that McClain’s actions prejudiced the plaintiffs and negatively impacted the judicial administration of the case. This was also upheld on appeal. In the order on the second case, the court discussed a third instance of McClain representing Barteet. In this third case, the court granted Summary Final Judgment against Barteet finding that a Crossclaim filed by McClain contained the same allegations that had already been adjudicated in the second case. (Case No. SC2024-0917)

Lisa Renee Wilcox, 23501 Alexander Rd., Pilot Point, TX, disciplinary revocation with leave to seek readmission after five years effective 30 days following a March 13 court order. (Admitted to practice: 2004) Wilcox’s former client alleged that Wilcox represented a company co-owned by the former client and Wilcox’s husband. Upon the rise of a conflict between the client and the Wilcox’s husband, Wilcox engaged in a conflict of interest by taking action that was adverse to the client’s interest. At the time of the conflict, Wilcox also represented the former client in an unrelated civil matter. Further, Wilcox failed to properly supervise her husband’s access to her law firm emails. (Case No. SC25-0093)

(Mike Frisch)