September 1, 2026, Disciplinary Actions

The Florida Supreme Court in recent court orders disciplined 10 attorneys, disbarring four, suspending five, and reprimanding one.

Claudia M. E. Atkinson, P.O. Box 1980, Fort Myers, disbarred effective immediately following a July 23 court order. (Admitted to Practice: 2012) Atkinson was held in contempt for failing to submit a sworn affidavit pursuant to Rule 3-5.1(b) attesting to notifying clients, opposing counsel, and tribunals of her suspension. (Case No. SC2026-0234)

Desiree Ellison Bannasch, 7635 Ashley Park Ct., Suite 503, Orlando, public reprimand, to be published in the Southern Reporter, and by appearance before the referee, attendance at Ethics School, and payment of the Bar’s costs, effective within 30 days following the July 16 court order. (Admitted to Practice: 1992) Bannasch engaged in the unlicensed practice of law in Tennessee by representing her aunt in a personal injury suit against her father. This was also a conflict of interest where Bannasch possessed first-hand knowledge of her father’s insurance policies and assets. Although Bannasch was not counsel of record, she drafted and filed the complaint that was signed by her aunt as a pro se litigant and entered into settlement negotiations with the lawyer for her father’s insurance carrier. Bannasch did not conduct discovery or file any additional pleadings and, almost five years later, her aunt hired Tennessee counsel to settle the case. (Case No. SC2025-1693)

Michael Thomas Beck, 6100 Stevenson Dr., Unit 203, Orlando, suspended until Beck fully responds in writing to official Bar inquiries and further order of the court, effective 30 days following the July 27 court order. (Admitted to Practice: 2021) The court granted The Florida Bar’s petition for order to show cause and held Beck in contempt of the Supreme Court of Florida for failing to respond to multiple official Bar inquiries. Beck is to remain suspended until he has fully responded in writing to the official Bar inquiries, and until further order of the court. (Case No. SC2026-0465)

John William Black, 2155 Delta Blvd., Suite 210A, Tallahassee, suspended for 30 days effective 30 days following a July 23 court order. (Admitted to Practice: 1988) Black engaged in two separate acts of misconduct. In the first matter, Black failed to respond in writing to official Bar inquiries during an investigation. In the second matter, he failed to diligently pursue his client’s legal action and failed to complete the representation for which he was retained. (Case No. SC2025-1071)

Christopher D. Butler, 3416 High Cliff Rd., Southport, felony suspension effective immediately following a July 8 court order. (Admitted to Practice: 2014) Butler pled guilty to two counts of sexual battery (engages in sexual battery while in position of familial or custodial authority), in violation of F.S. §794.011(8)(b). He was sentenced as a sexual predator to eight years in prison and must complete 20 years of sex offender probation. (Case No. SC2026-1028)

Mariano Ramon Gonzalez, Jr., 1401 Sawgrass Corporate Pkwy., Suite 186, Sunrise, disbarred effective immediately following a July 2 court order. (Admitted to Practice: 1993) Gonzalez was hired to represent a client in a claim for damages against his insurer. He filed a complaint in October 2020. In 2022, defendants filed a motion to dismiss. Just prior to the hearing on the motion, Gonzalez filed a voluntary dismissal and never informed his client that the case had been dismissed. The Florida Bar sent multiple inquiries to the respondent requesting a written response. Gonzalez requested an extension to file a response; however, he never provided a written response. He also failed to produce requested records, and thereafter, failed to file an answer to the Bar’s formal complaint. (Case No. SC2025-1700)

Jeffrey Marc Friedman, 10 SE Central Pkwy, Suite 305, Stuart, suspended for 30 days and ordered a two-year probation, including monthly review and quarterly trust account reports by a certified public accountant and attendance at the Trust Accounting Workshop, effective 30 days following a July 30 order. (Admitted to Practice: 1997) The Florida Bar conducted a compliance audit after receiving an overdraft notice for Friedman’s trust account where they found were shortages of client funds. Friedman also engaged in the commingling of funds in his trust account. Friedman did not follow the required procedures or maintain the required records for his trust account. Friedman was not in substantial compliance with the Rules Regulating Trust Accounts during the period of time that the audit covered. (Case No. SC2025-1979)

Marsha Sharlene Johnson, 372 Crescent Blvd., St. Augustine, disbarred effective immediately following a July 9 court order. (Admitted to Practice: 2012) Johnson filed a pleading claiming she had filed for bankruptcy in federal court. Relying on that claim, the trial court issued a stay of the proceedings and canceled the scheduled contempt hearing. After discovering that no bankruptcy case had been filed, opposing counsel moved to lift the stay and requested that respondent be held in contempt. At the hearing, Johnson admitted she had not filed for bankruptcy as she had claimed. In a separate matter, Johnson engaged in a conflict of interest when she borrowed $16,000 from a client who had retained her to draft and revise a will. She did not inform the client in writing that it was advisable to consult independent counsel prior to entering into the loan agreement. Johnson made no payments toward the loan. She also failed to make timely written responses to the Bar's investigative inquiries. (Case No. SC2025-1843)

Ryan Thomas Kraus, 8635 W. Hillsborough Ave., Suite 303, Tampa, suspended for 91 days effective immediately following a July 23 court order. (Admitted to Practice: 2017) Kraus was held in contempt for failing to submit a sworn affidavit pursuant to Rule 3-5.1(b) attesting to notifying clients, opposing counsel, and tribunals of his suspension. (Case No. SC2026-0600)

Paige Sundance Mincieli, 2301 Del Prado Blvd. S., Suite 690, #169, Cape Coral, disbarred effective immediately following a July 17 court order. (Admitted to Practice: 2019) On September 29, 2025, the Supreme Court of Florida entered an order suspending Mincieli from the practice of law. After the effective date of the suspension, Mincieli continued to engage in the practice of law. Additionally, Mincieli failed to respond to official Bar inquiries involving numerous Bar files. On March 18, the court entered an order to show cause, and Mincieli failed to file a response. Thereafter, the court held Mincieli in contempt and she was disbarred. (Case No. SC2026-0431)

The Florida Supreme Court, The Florida Bar, and its Division of Lawyer Regulation are charged with administering a statewide disciplinary system to enforce Supreme Court rules of professional conduct for the more than 115,000 members of The Florida Bar. Key discipline case files that are public record are posted to attorneys’ individual online Florida Bar profiles. To view discipline documents, follow these steps. Information on the discipline system and how to file a complaint are available at www.floridabar.org/attorneydiscipline.

Court orders are not final until time expires to file a rehearing motion and, if filed, determined. The filing of such a motion does not alter the effective date of the discipline. Disbarred lawyers may not re-apply for admission for five years. They are required to go through an extensive process that includes a rigorous background check and retaking the bar exam. Attorneys suspended for periods of 91 days and longer must undergo a rigorous process to regain their law licenses including proving rehabilitation. Disciplinary revocation is tantamount to disbarment.