A U.S. magistrate recommended that a federal court throw out a San Antonio law firm’s claims against a former client, but keep moving on allegations of defamation and client-stealing by a California law firm.
The plaintiff, the Law Offices of Ernesto Martinez Jr. in San Antonio, claimed in the lawsuit that the defendants—Hellmich Law Group and Kennie Arriola and Associates—communicated false and disparaging allegations and improperly solicited the Martinez firm’s clients to join the Hellmich firm in a “baseless and fraudulent claim” against Martinez. But Hellmich and Arriola denied the allegations.
