The Florida Supreme Court disagreed with a court-appointed referee’s recommendation to admonish prominent attorney Philip M. Gerson and co-counsel Steven K. Hunter, instead imposed a harsher punishment, suspending both Miami attorneys for 30 days.

Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Michael Hanzman, who served as referee, found the attorneys violated one, not two, Florida Bar rules governing attorneys conflicts of interest involving current and former clients. He found the attorneys violated Florida Bar Rule 4-1.7, which governs conflicts with current clients, but not Rule 4-1.9, which deals with former clients.