Lawyer accused of ghosting client had listed Irish pub as his address, ethics referee says
A Miami lawyer has been disbarred after an uncontested referee’s report found that he filed a notice of appearance while suspended, abandoned a client, and listed an Irish pub as his address with the Florida Bar. (Image from Shutterstock)
A Miami lawyer has been disbarred after an uncontested referee’s report found that he filed a notice of appearance while suspended, abandoned a client, and listed an Irish pub as his address with the Florida Bar.
The Florida Supreme Court disbarred lawyer Daryl Bobby Fenton of Florida in a Feb. 6 order that became effective this month, the Miami Herald reports in a story reprinted by AOL.
The address listed by Fenton is for the Auld Dubliner Irish Pub & Kitchen in Miami, according to the Miami Herald.
Fenton first ran afoul of ethics rules when he filed a notice of appearance for a criminal defendant in November 2023 while on suspension for failing to fulfill requirements for continuing legal education, according to the November 2024 referee’s report. He filed a petition for reinstatement to the bar the next day in which he stated that he did not practice law or advise clients during the suspension period.
When the bar tried to contact Fenton to learn why he filed the appearance before seeking reinstatement, he did not respond. In December 2023, Fenton filed a notice for appearance for another criminal defendant who later showed up on his own for a court appearance in January 2024.
The defendant told the judge that he had been unable to reach Fenton. The judge tried calling phone numbers listed on pleadings and with the bar, but he was also unable to contact the lawyer. The judge set a new hearing and notified Fenton in an email, but he didn’t respond and didn’t appear for the new court date.
The judge appointed a public defender for Fenton’s client and referred the matter to the Florida Bar, which was also unable to contact or find Fenton. A bar investigator did find a potential address, but Fenton had been evicted shortly before the investigator arrived at the property.
According to the Miami Herald, the address was for the West Tower of River Landing Residences, which is “a luxury high-rise popular with Instagram influencers.”
Fenton did not immediately respond to an ABA Journal email seeking comment sent to an address listed with the Florida Bar.
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