What's Next: Felony Theft Over Settlements? | Malpractice Claims Soar
Welcome back to What's Next, where we bring you the latest on the intersection of law and technology. You can email…
May 25, 2022 at 01:38 PM
4 minute read
What's Next
Welcome back to What's Next, where we bring you the latest on the intersection of law and technology.
You can email me at [email protected] and follow me on Twitter at @meghanncuniff.
Credit: Andrey_Popov/Shutterstock
'I Stand By What I Did': SF Prosecutors Charge Lawyer With Felony Theft Over ADA Settlements
A prosecutorial effort against serial plaintiffs in Americans with Disabilities Act litigation took on a new angle recently when the San Francisco County District Attorney's Office announced felony theft charges against a lawyer accused of stealing from small businesses by threatening them with ADA t lawsuits he had no intention of bringing.
It's a novel move in an already unusual effort that some say is politically motivated.
The indicted lawyer, Beverly Hills-based Kousha Berokim of Berokim & Duel, told Law.com the allegations are false, describing himself as an attorney for 15 years who has represented many people with claims related to their disabilities.
"I stand by what I did on behalf of my clients, including the clients at issue here," Berokim said.
Read the rest of my story here, and look for an update from me soon on U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria's actions against serial plaintiff firm Potter Handy LLP in the Northern District of California.
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Obscure Civil Trial to Feature Who's Who of L.A. Legal Community
On the horizon in a low-profile jury trial in a state court branch courthouse in Westminister, California: Testimony from one of the most prominent trial lawyers in the United States.
Brian Panish. Photo: Jason Doiy/ALM
As my new article explains, Brian Panish is expected to be a key witness in a civil trial that will begin testimony June 1, with Michael Avenatti's ex-co-counsel suing his ex-clients over a $5.4 million attorney fee he never received.
Avenatti won't be testifying after invoking his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. And Judge Walter Schwarm determined Avenatti's no longer a party to the case after failing to respond to pleadings. But Panish will be a key witness, with Conlan describing how he asked Avenatti to help with the case because "he thought, as he should at the time, that Mr. Avenatti would be honest with his clients."
Read the rest of my article here.
Credit: Vitalii Vodolazskyi/Shutterstock.com. Documents about Legal Malpractice in court.
Legal Malpractice Claims Are Soaring: Here Are the Most Vulnerable Practice Areas
The legal industry has a problem, and it is not just bad news for insurance companies.
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Who Got The Work
Michael G. Bongiorno, Andrew Scott Dulberg and Elizabeth E. Driscoll from Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr have stepped in to represent Symbotic Inc., an A.I.-enabled technology platform that focuses on increasing supply chain efficiency, and other defendants in a pending shareholder derivative lawsuit. The case, filed Oct. 2 in Massachusetts District Court by the Brown Law Firm on behalf of Stephen Austen, accuses certain officers and directors of misleading investors in regard to Symbotic's potential for margin growth by failing to disclose that the company was not equipped to timely deploy its systems or manage expenses through project delays. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton, is 1:24-cv-12522, Austen v. Cohen et al.
Who Got The Work
Edmund Polubinski and Marie Killmond of Davis Polk & Wardwell have entered appearances for data platform software development company MongoDB and other defendants in a pending shareholder derivative lawsuit. The action, filed Oct. 7 in New York Southern District Court by the Brown Law Firm, accuses the company's directors and/or officers of falsely expressing confidence in the company’s restructuring of its sales incentive plan and downplaying the severity of decreases in its upfront commitments. The case is 1:24-cv-07594, Roy v. Ittycheria et al.
Who Got The Work
Amy O. Bruchs and Kurt F. Ellison of Michael Best & Friedrich have entered appearances for Epic Systems Corp. in a pending employment discrimination lawsuit. The suit was filed Sept. 7 in Wisconsin Western District Court by Levine Eisberner LLC and Siri & Glimstad on behalf of a project manager who claims that he was wrongfully terminated after applying for a religious exemption to the defendant's COVID-19 vaccine mandate. The case, assigned to U.S. Magistrate Judge Anita Marie Boor, is 3:24-cv-00630, Secker, Nathan v. Epic Systems Corporation.
Who Got The Work
David X. Sullivan, Thomas J. Finn and Gregory A. Hall from McCarter & English have entered appearances for Sunrun Installation Services in a pending civil rights lawsuit. The complaint was filed Sept. 4 in Connecticut District Court by attorney Robert M. Berke on behalf of former employee George Edward Steins, who was arrested and charged with employing an unregistered home improvement salesperson. The complaint alleges that had Sunrun informed the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection that the plaintiff's employment had ended in 2017 and that he no longer held Sunrun's home improvement contractor license, he would not have been hit with charges, which were dismissed in May 2024. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer, is 3:24-cv-01423, Steins v. Sunrun, Inc. et al.
Who Got The Work
Greenberg Traurig shareholder Joshua L. Raskin has entered an appearance for boohoo.com UK Ltd. in a pending patent infringement lawsuit. The suit, filed Sept. 3 in Texas Eastern District Court by Rozier Hardt McDonough on behalf of Alto Dynamics, asserts five patents related to an online shopping platform. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Rodney Gilstrap, is 2:24-cv-00719, Alto Dynamics, LLC v. boohoo.com UK Limited.
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