A former Florida attorney recently ended his law career in two states, with pending accusations of sex with one client and unethical behavior involving another client with whom he’d allegedly been dating.
Former Miami Beach and Boca Raton, Florida, lawyer Michael Herman Hoffman, 57, resigned from the Oregon State Bar in December 2024 and essentially requested to be disbarred in Florida, which the Oregon Supreme Court agreeded to June 25, according to a story by the Miami Herald.
Hoffman’s client in a domestic partnership dissolution case in 2021 became his sexual partner before the case ended, according to his June 5 petition for disciplinary revocation. According to the Miami Herald, he represented her through the end of the case, which violated the Oregon Rules of Professional Conduct.
In the second discipline case, the petition said, Hoffman was accused of “dating a client and told her he would cease charging fees for the representation.” After the client indicated that she didn’t want to continue dating but would still pay Hoffman’s fees, he withdrew from the representation, according to the petition.
He was also accused of not letting the client know about the terms in a settlement offer from the other side’s lawyer—an accusation that Hoffman has denied. But Hoffman “did not desire to contest or defend against” the misconduct allegations in the Oregon proceedings against him, so he resigned, the Miami Herald reports.
Hoffman applied for disciplinary revocation before the Florida Bar could begin reciprocal discipline against him, the Miami Herald reports. That was granted June 25, and it will take effect July 27.
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