Florida Bar v. Barrett

Senior partner David Barrett (defendant) hired paralegal Chad Cooper and arranged for him to attend a hospital chaplain training course so Cooper could pose as a chaplain and solicit patients and grieving families in hospital emergency rooms, ultimately bringing in at least 21 clients for Barrett's firm through this deception, including a mother whose son died after a car accident. Barrett eventually fired Cooper out of fear the scheme would be discovered, but Cooper kept soliciting clients for Barrett anyway. The Florida Bar (plaintiff) charged Barrett with misconduct; a referee found him guilty of unlawful solicitation, fee-sharing, and deceit and recommended a one-year suspension, and both the Bar (seeking disbarment) and Barrett (seeking only a 21-day suspension) appealed the sanction.