The Florida Anti‑SLAPP Project

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The disbarment shall become effective immediately and will keep Michael Braunschweig, who is the former law partner of disgraced Omar Saleh, suspended from practicing law in the state of Florida for at least the next five years at which time he may apply for reinstatement.
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• FLORIDA SUPREME COURT'S ORDER DISBARRING MICHAEL BRAUNSCHWEIG

It's a small yet meaningful victory for the First Amendment.

Michael Braunschweig, who appeared at an Anti-SLAPP hearing as co-counsel for Vetfield Animal Hospital and Fort Lauderdale‑area veterinarian Mustafa Saleh, has been suspended from practicing law for at least the next five years, the Florida Supreme Court decreed late last week. Braunschweig had been a partner in the two‑person start‑up firm of Synergy Law based in Coral Gables, Fla., with former Nova Southeastern University classmate Omar Saleh, the veterinarian's son.

No disciplinary action has been taken as of this writing against Omar Saleh, the Plaintiffs' other co‑counsel.

However, both Salehs are being sued in a $40‑million, multi‑count Complaint filed in Broward County last year for a myriad of violations of Florida law, including defamation, defamation per se, conspiracy to defame, and malicious prosecution. That case is pending before the Hon. Judge William W. Haury, Jr.

In addition to losing his law license, Braunschweig was ordered to pay restitution to the Florida Bar in the amount of $1,250. "The other members of The Florida Bar should not have to pay for [Braunschweig's] failure to respond to an official bar inquiry and the initiation of the instant proceeding," wrote Jennifer R. Falcone on behalf of the Florida Bar.

According to his Petition For Disciplinary Revocation With Leave To Apply For Readmission, Braunschweig was admitted to practice law on Nov. 4, 2011, while Omar Saleh was completing his final semester of coursework at NSU.

Braunschweig was the subject of numerous bar complaints from clients in 2018 and 2019 and failed to respond to repeated official inquiries from the Florida Bar.

Omar Saleh was named in at least two separate recent bar complaints, one of which included a copy of an e‑mail he sent to a local web design business that described an African‑American employee of the company as "barely literate." The Florida Bar failed to investigate either complaint.

In accordance with the terms of his suspension, Braunschweig can no longer hold himself out as an attorney and is required to keep a current mailing address on file with the Florida Bar. Further, he must eliminate all indication of his status as an attorney on social media, business cards, office signs, and the like. Before enrolling at NSU, Braunschweig earned an undergraduate degree in Evolutionary Biology and Genetics from Northwestern University.

Synergy Law appears to have permanently shuttered as Omar Saleh has relocated to office space inside the Islamic Center of Broward on Sunrise Boulevard where he works as a solo practitioner. It was just one year ago when a Broward County jury verdict concluded that Vetfield Animal Hospital was not defamed regarding published statements that it holds pets hostage, generates bogus invoices, and is staffed by "thieving bastards."

That jury stunned scores of legal experts by awarding Mustafa Saleh $12,000 in defamation damages based on non‑actionable insults such as that he is "sleazy, sneaky, immoral, and greedy."

Vetfield Animal Hospital and Mustafa Saleh failed on all of their other claims in the case. They dropped their Tortious Interference With An Advantageous Business Relationship allegations and saw both their allegations of Public Disclosure of Private Facts and Intentional Inflicton of Emotional Distress dismissed when Judge Marina Garcia‑Wood granted Summary Judgment in favor of the Defendants in 2017.

Braunschweig, who never worked at Vetfield Animal Hospital, was listed on the Plaintiffs' witness list for trial. He was a no‑show in court, as neither his address nor the subject matter about which he planned to testify was disclosed in accordance with the Uniform Trial Order. Braunschweig's absence, however, may have had more to do with his suspension by the Florida Bar on July 19, 2019, in connection with the same charges on which he ultimately was disbarred.

The coveted prize that Braunschweig and the Salehs sought was a permanent injunction against the online review at issue. But after more than five years and hundreds of filings, Broward County Circuit Court Judge David A. Haimes entered a final judgment in the case with nary a mention of any permanent injunctive relief.

Heck, assuming Braunschweig and Saleh each put in two hours per week for five years, at least they earned a solid $11 an hour for their time.

Here's hoping Mike makes the most of that money till 2025.