Case 1:25-mc-25227 Document 12 Entered on FLSD Docket 07/22/2026 Page 1 of 4
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF FLORIDA
CASE NO. 25-MC-25227
ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER 2026-58
IN RE: MARTIN G. MCCARTHY tah
FLORIDA BAR # 149896
_______________________________/ Jul 22, 2026
ORDER WPB
On August 25, 2025, the Court referred Martin G. McCarthy to the Ad Hoc Committee on
Attorney Admissions, Peer Review, and Attorney Grievance for the U.S. District Court for the
Southern District of Florida (“Committee”) for investigation of certain actions he took as counsel
in Dogwood State Bank v. Manal S. Moussa-Oliver and Michael W. Oliver, No. 23-cv-22539 (S.D.
Fla. 2025). (See Nov. 10, 2025 Order [ECF No. 1] 16).1 On January 28, 2026, the Committee
issued a Final Report and Recommendation [ECF No. 5], and the Court gave Mr. McCarthy a
chance to respond (see generally Jan. 29, 2026 Order [ECF No. 6]). On February 17, 2026, the
Court entered Administrative Order 2026-10 [ECF No. 7], adopting the Committee’s Final Report
and Recommendation “in full.” (Id. 2).
The Court’s Administrative Order required Mr. McCarthy to (1) self-report to the
Committee any instance in which a court issues an order pertaining to his non-compliance with a
court order, court rule, or missed court deadline for a period of six months; (2) register and
complete a CLE course on case/law office management; (3) send written letters of apology to U.S.
District Judge Beth Bloom and U.S. Magistrate Judge Edwin G. Torres; and (4) appear for an in-
person private reprimand before the Court. (See id.). Mr. McCarthy wrote apology letters to the
Judges (see generally Letters [ECF No. 8]) and appeared for his in-person reprimand scheduled
1
The Court uses the pagination generated by the electronic CM/ECF database, which appears in the headers
of all court filings.
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CASE NO. 25-25227-MC-ALTONAGA
for April 20, 2026 (see generally Mar. 27, 2026 Order [ECF No. 9]; see also Supplemental
Report . . . [ECF No. 10] 3).
On June 1, 2026, the Committee submitted a Supplemental Report and Recommendation,
advising that Mr. McCarthy failed to complete the CLE and reporting requirements despite
multiple reminders and opportunities to cure his non-compliance. (See Supplemental Report 3–
5). The Committee concluded that Mr. McCarthy’s “repeated failure[s] and apparent refusal[s]
to abide by court orders” went “beyond mere sloppiness, office management problems, or
incompetent calendaring[,]” and it recommended referring Mr. McCarthy to the Florida Bar and
suspending him from practice in the Southern District of Florida until further order of the Court.
(Id. 4 (alterations added)).
In its June 9, 2026 Order, the Court gave Mr. McCarthy until June 24, 2026, to file a
response explaining why the Court should not adopt the Committee’s Supplemental Report and
Recommendation. (See June 9, 2026 Order [ECF No. 11] 2). To date, no response has been
received.
Attorney Rule 6(c)(B)(vii) of the Southern District of Florida Rules Governing the
Admission, Practice, Peer Review, and Discipline of Attorneys (“Attorney Rules”) provides that
when the Committee issues a Supplemental Report and Recommendation in which it recommends
discipline, the matter is to be submitted for consideration at a regularly scheduled Judges’ Meeting.
See S.D. Fla. Att’y R. 6(c)(B)(vii). The next Judges’ Meeting is scheduled for October 8, 2026.
(See generally Sep. 24, 2025 Administrative Order 2025-72).2
That said, the Court has the inherent power to regulate membership in its bar for the
protection of the public interest. See Chambers v. NASCO, Inc., 501 U.S. 32, 43 (1991) (“[A]
2
All Administrative Orders for the Southern District of Florida are available at https://www.flsd.uscourts.gov/adminis
trative-orders.
2
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CASE NO. 25-25227-MC-ALTONAGA
federal court has the power to control admission to its bar and to discipline attorneys who appear
before it.” (alteration added)). Given the length of time between the entry of this Order and the
scheduled meeting and considering the Committee’s concerns over Mr. McCarthy’s legal practice
and professional conduct — notably, his failures to abide by court orders — the Court finds an
interim suspension is warranted pending final resolution at the October 8, 2026 Judges’ Meeting.
Accordingly, it is
ORDERED AND ADJUDGED as follows:
1. Effective immediately, Mr. McCarthy is suspended from the practice of law in the U.S.
District Court for the Southern District of Florida, pending further order of the Court. He may
not resume practice before this Court unless and until reinstated by court order. See S.D. Fla.
Att’y R. 12(a).
2. Within fourteen (14) days of receipt of this Order, Mr. McCarthy shall notify the
Clerk of Court of any active cases in which he appears as counsel or co-counsel of record in this
District.
3. The Clerk shall STRIKE Mr. McCarthy from the roll of attorneys authorized to
practice before this Court and immediately revoke his CM/ECF credentials.
4. The Clerk shall promptly SERVE this Order via certified mail to Mr. McCarthy’s
court record address and any addresses on file with the Florida Bar.
DONE AND ORDERED in Miami, Florida, this 22nd day of July, 2026.
________________________________________
CECILIA M. ALTONAGA
CHIEF UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE
cc: Martin G. McCarthy
William C. Hearon, Chair, Ad Hoc Committee on Attorney Admissions, Peer Review,
and Attorney Grievance, United States District Court, Southern District of Florida
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CASE NO. 25-25227-MC-ALTONAGA
Angela E. Noble, Court Administrator ∙ Clerk of Court
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