BOCA RATON, Fla. — A Boca Raton attorney is facing a first-degree murder charge after a body was found Saturday in a Boca Raton office building where his father also worked as an attorney.
Boca Raton police spokeswoman Jessica Desir would not confirm the name of the victim. Also, the manner of death was not given.
Brandon Labiner, 34, of Boca Raton, was booked into the main Palm Beach County jail on an out-of-county warrant at 8:59 a.m. Sunday. Later that day, a first-degree murder charge was added. His first court appearance was scheduled for Monday morning.
His father is Paul Labiner, 68, who has a law office at 5499 N. Federal Highway, where a man's body was found at about 4:30 p.m. Saturday. The Monterey, which includes various business tenants, is located at that address. Labiner is a trust and estates attorney and has been a managing partner at his firm since 1990.
Brandon Labiner is an attorney who had worked at his father's office until his forced resignation in September 2022. He represented individuals and their families with their will-drafting needs and the administration of revocable and irrevocable trusts.
Paul Labiner sued his son on Sept. 20, 2022. Paul Labiner and his wife, Mindy Labiner, filed a complaint for damages against Brandon Labiner, his spouse and Fidelity Brokerage Service. The suit sought damages that exceed $300,000 exclusive of costs and attorney's fees.
According to the suit, Brandon Labiner and his spouse "participated in a scheme to steal and divert funds from the Trust for her own benefit and the benefit of Brandon."
The suit also said "Brandon's poor work ethic and subpar performance as a plaintiff's attorney caused the volume of cases to drastically dwindle to what Plaintiff believes is not more than a handful of viable cases."
Also, Brandon "engaged in a physical altercation with Paul, who was injured in the process. As a result, Brandon was asked to leave the office premises and Brandon complied," according to the lawsuit.
The younger Labiner also had his law license suspended in an emergency court ruling on April 18. Brandon Labiner was accused of stealing $450,000 from his mother's trust fund. His father initiated the bar complaint.
During their investigation, detectives were led to the 900 block of North Federal Highway, south of Glades Road, about 3 miles away. The area also includes businesses. The SWAT team was called to the location, and the suspect was arrested hours later.