A Hollywood lawyer who’s being sued by his brother over real estate losses now faces trial for alleged civil theft of a client’s escrow funds.
Broward Circuit Judge Dale Ross had ruled in favor of the lawyer, Bruce Smoler of Smoler & Associates, by dismissing with prejudice all claims against him and his former law firm. Werner Heldenmuth claimed in his lawsuit that Smoler and longtime client Paul Groll kept some of the escrow money from a 2006 home investment and used it for unauthorized purposes.
