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The tribe’s ad on the Florida bar website says that they
seek a lawyer to provide “legal services, representation, and advice on legal
issues pertaining to the tribal government and its departments, divisions,
agencies, and enterprises.”
There’s no telling how many will apply for the position, but
Kendall Coffey,
partner with Coffey Burlington in Miami and former U.S. attorney, thinks that
the tribe will undoubtedly get applicants. “It’s still a fascinating and
potentially lucrative opportunity for someone who is not risk adverse,” he
said. “The legal issues are complex, varied, and involve multiple different
jurisdictions. From a legal and intellectual standpoint, it would be an
entirely intriguing opportunity.”
The tribe’s last lawyer, Bernardo Roman III of the Law
Offices of Bernardo Roman III in Miami, was fired in May after the Florida Bar
found probable cause to investigate claims that his conduct was deceitful and
prejudicial to his client. He is awaiting a trial before he faces possible
disbarment.
Previously, he and the tribe were also sanctioned by U.S.
District Judge Marcia Cooke and ordered to pay $1 million in fines for filing a
racketeering case against previous tribal attorneys, which were dismissed as
groundless.
Steve Davis, litigator with Becker & Poliakoff, also
recently represented the tribe on July 9th in a state case against
former tribe chair Billy Cypress and other defendants. Davis did not reply to
the Daily
Business Review for comment, though he still appears to be the frontrunner
to get the position—assuming he applies.
Lawyer Robert Saunooke, a Miramar solo practitioner of
eastern Cherokee descent, has expressed interest in the job. Saunooke, who
represents 50 members of the tribe in tax cases and has done legal work for the
Seminole Tribe of Florida, would be a good fit for the position, given his
background of working in the realm of Indian tribal law.
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