A covert settlement, misappropriation of business funds, a $65,000 client loan and fraudulent tax returns made the list of violations that landed eight South Florida attorneys in ethical hot water, leading to five suspensions and three reprimands from the Florida Supreme Court.
For long-time Fort Lauderdale attorney Gary Howard Marks, his involvement in a secret $14.5 million settlement led to his 91-day suspension. An attorney since 1981, Marks was charged with violating the Florida Bar’s conflict-of-interest and honesty rules when he and attorneys at two other law firms reached a multimillion-dollar settlement behind the backs of the special counsel they hired to help handle the litigation.
