Florida Supreme Court Suspends Attorney Who Returned Escrow Deposit Without Notifying Land-Deal Parties

Published Nov. 6, 2026. Case status is current as of that date.

According to The Florida Bar News’s May 1, 2023 report, the Supreme Court of Florida suspended Hazem Reda Bata for 60 days and ordered Ethics School, effective May 15, 2023, in Case No. SC22-1361, after finding that as escrow agent for a Bahamas land deal he returned the deposit funds to an investor who requested them and failed to notify the parties to the contract [1].

Status: 60-day suspension plus Ethics School; effective May 15, 2023 (SC22-1361) [1].

What the Bar News reports

According to The Florida Bar News [1]:

1. Bata (admitted 2005; Zionsville, Indiana address) served as an escrow agent for a land deal in the Bahamas.
2. An initial deposit on behalf of the buyer was provided by an investor who subsequently requested the return of the funds.
3. Bata returned the funds and failed to notify the parties to the contract.
4. The contract remained in limbo for over a decade; when the parties were ready to finalize in 2019, the buyer learned for the first time that Bata no longer had the funds.

The attorney suspended

Hazem Reda Bata (Florida Bar; Zionsville, Indiana address listed). Admitted 2005. 60-day suspension May 2023 (SC22-1361) [1].

Case status (as of Nov. 6, 2026)

Respondent	Court	Status	Source
Hazem Reda Bata (FL Bar)	Supreme Court of Florida, SC22-1361	Suspended 60 days + Ethics School; effective May 15, 2023	[1]

Short suspensions do not require the same rehabilitation petition process as suspensions of 91 days or longer.

Sources

1. The Florida Bar News, “May 1, 2023 Disciplinary Actions” (reporting Supreme Court order in SC22-1361). https://www.floridabar.org/the-florida-bar-news/may-1-2023-disciplinary-actions/