The wife of well-known Beaumont, Texas, plaintiffs lawyer Walter Umphrey filed a lawsuit on Friday alleging a Houston woman seduced Umphrey and induced him to transfer money and property worth more than $2 million to her without the wife's knowledge, consent or authorization.

Umphrey is a prominent Texas plaintiffs lawyer who obtained billions of dollars in verdicts and settlements in asbestos litigation. He is also well-known for helping negotiate a historic $17.3 billion settlement with tobacco companies on behalf of the state of Texas.

The suit, filed in the 11th District Court in Harris County, alleges Jolyne Thompson “engages in behavior designed to target, seduce, and then defraud, wealthy men” and that Umphrey was “one such target.” Plaintiff S.G. Umphrey, who is Umphrey's wife Sheila, and the Umphrey Family Limited Partnership, also a party in the suit, allege that Thompson knew Walter Umphrey was married.

Harold “Hap” May, a Houston lawyer at Harold “Hap” May PC in Houston, and JMT Homestead Irrevocable Trust are also named defendants in the suit. May did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the allegations. Thompson, who is listed in the lawsuit as a trustee of JMT, could not be reached.

The plaintiffs in Umphrey Family Limited Partnership. v. Thompson are represented by Zona Jones, a partner at Harrison Davis Steakley Morrison Jones of Beaumont. Jones, who did not immediately respond to a request for comment, is a former partner at the Provost Umphrey Law Firm. Umphrey is identified on the firm's website as nonactive since 2016. He is also listed on the State Bar of Texas website as retired.

The partnership and S.G. Umphrey allege that Thompson was introduced to Umphrey sometime around 2008 and “she initiated and participated in an affair with Mr. Umphrey.” They allege that beginning in 2008 and for many years, Thompson “induced Mr. Umphrey to transfer significant property, assets, and monies belonging to plaintiffs to and for the benefit of the defendant Thompson as part and parcel of their affair.”

The plaintiffs allege that in September 2008, Umphrey transferred $24,000 to Thompson to enter a World Series of Poker event in Las Vegas and she quickly became accustomed to such events and extravagant gifts. “As time passed, Thompson's grip on Mr. Umphrey's wallet tightened,” the petition filed by the plaintiffs says.

in thier suit, the plaintiffs also allege that in 2012 Umphrey “began experiencing early-onset Alzheimer's” and Thompson proceeded to take further advantage of him “with full knowledge of Mr. Umphrey's diminishing mental faculties.”

According to the petition, Thompson “induced” Umphrey to transfer $175,000 to her in July 2012; to wire $1.5 million in October 2012 from the family partnership to JMT for purchase of a property in Houston; and to issue checks for $30,218, $42,143 and $52,952 between 2013 and 2015 for property taxes for the property.

The plaintiffs allege Thompson and May acted “in concert” to conspire, defraud, injure and damage the plaintiffs by obtaining and receiving money and assets the defendants knew were the property of Umphrey and the partnership, and with the knowledge that Sheila Umphrey had not joined in that transfer.

“The full extent, nature, and amount of money and assets swindled by the defendant Thompson without authorization, knowledge, or consent of plaintiffs is presently unknown to plaintiffs,” the plaintiffs allege,

The plaintiffs allege May had knowledge of the “fraudulent scheme” and his involvement, experience and expertise as a CPA and real estate attorney “were a substantial factor in defrauding plaintiffs.”

They are seeking more than $2 million and an accounting of the money and property. They are also seeking title for the Houston property, reformation of the deed, and a declaratory judgment that the partnership should hold title to the property.