Henry Lee Paul served as Bar Counsel in the Tampa Branch of The Florida Bar from 2005 until January 2012. His duties included all matters related to the enforcement of The Rules Regulating The Florida Bar. Paul has prosecuted or defended over eighty cases involving The Florida bar before the Florida Supreme Court.
P.O. Box 18685
Tampa, Fl. 33679-8685
550 N. Reo St.
Suite 300
Tampa, FL 33609
2248 First Street
Fort Myers, FL 33901
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Paul has presented three cases in oral argument before the Florida Supreme Court. Paul served as legal advisor for the two grievance committees in Fort Myers, to one grievance committee in Tampa. and to one grievance committee in St. Petersburg. Paul has also appeared as an advocate in confidential proceedings before the Board of Governors of The Florida Bar. On January 16, 2012 Paul returned to private practice with offices in Tampa and Fort Myers. Paul also represents applicants before the Florida Board of Bar Examiners. Paul has served and is available to serve as an expert witness on ethics issues. Paul also provides risk management services to lawyers.
Paul has been a presenter at numerous CLE programs involving ethics and professionalism. Paul has also written a monthly column on ethics for the Lee County Bar Association magazine "Res Gestae" since January 2015.
Prior to providing public service as Bar Counsel for The Florida Bar, Paul was a founding partner, along with Phil Esposito, of the Tampa Bay Hockey Group that obtained the expansion franchise in 1990. While maintaining a private law practice, Paul also served the Lightning in various capacities from 1990 through 1998, including vice president, general counsel and alternate Governor. his responsibilities involved almost all areas of Lightning management. His law firm continued to provide limited representation to the Lightning from 1998 until 2005.Paul's initial legal experience involved primarily criminal law. He assisted his partner Bennie Lazzara, Jr, and also served as lead counsel, on numerous criminal cases and criminal appeals. Paul's practice evolved into criminal/civil crossover complex litigation cases involving allegations of fraud, as well as related employee whistleblower cases.
Paul continued to represent clients other than the Lightning during the 1990's. Some of the more notable cases include the following:
In the mid 1990's Paul represented Richard Urso in the highly publicized case of Urso v. Metlife et al. as well as successfully defending Mr. Urso in a federal criminal investigation and a proceeding by the Florida Department of Insurance.
In the late 1990's Paul successfully defended a loan officer with Barnett Bank in Fort. Myers, Fla. in several related cases involving highly publicized allegations including allegations of civil racketeering against Barnett Bank and its employees. These cases were litigated for several years in federal and state court in Punta Gorda, Tampa and Portland, Oregon.
Paul spent five years representing the Plaintiff in a complex medicare cost report fraud case, pursuant to the provisions of the federal false claims act. This case was filed in District Court in Tampa in 1998. It was removed to Multi-District Litigation in the District of Columbia (United States ex rel Parslow v. HCA – et. al. Case No. 99-3338 – MDL Case No. 01-MS-50 – RCL – D.C. Cir.). A portion of the case was subsequently severed and transferred to the Southern District of New York (United States ex rel. Francesco Lanni and Parslow v. Curative, Case No. 98 Civ. 2501 – RCC – SDNY).
Paul completed his undergraduate studies at Florida State University in 1981 and received his law degree from Stetson University in 1984. He has been a member of The Florida Bar and has actively practiced law since 1985. Paul was employed with the firm that became known as Lazzara & Paul, P. A. from 1984 to 1997. In 1997 Paul started the firm of Paul & Singer, P. A. and practiced with this firm until 2005. Paul is A/V rated by Martindale Hubbell.
Paul has a family rich tradition in the sports business. His father, Gabe, had a career that spanned 65 years of administration and ownership in Major League Baseball with the Cincinnati Reds, Houston Colt 45's, Cleveland Indians and New York Yankees. His career also included pioneering ownership of a professional soccer franchise. His brother, Gabe Jr., has served as Vice President of the Milwaukee Brewers. Paul was born on June 1, 1958.