Lawyer Pitchman Gets 6-Month Suspension for Lax Supervision at High-Volume Firm
A Phoenix lawyer well-known for his television commercials will be suspended for six months for failing to properly supervise lawyers who sometimes handled more than 500 cases at a time.
The Arizona Supreme Court reduced the suspension for lawyer Jeffrey Phillips by one day, which means his reinstatement will be automatic, according to the Arizona Republic and the Phoenix New Times. The Arizona Republic describes Phillips as a “mousse-haired television pitchman” while the New Times labels him a “flashy frontman” for his law firm, Phillips and Associates.
The firm bills itself as a “consumer law firm” and handles bankruptcies, personal injury cases and criminal defense work, representing more than 10,000 clients a year, according to the Arizona Supreme Court opinion (PDF).
A hearing officer found that Phillips had hired nonlawyer intake specialists whose bonuses were based on volume, and they sometimes misled clients about possible case results. Phillips also failed to properly supervise lawyers handling a large volume of cases, sometimes more than 500 at a time, the officer found. Phillips and Associates had 33,000 clients between 2004 and 2006. At the time of the disciplinary proceeding in 2008, the firm employed 250 people, 38 of whom were lawyers.
Last year Phillips told the New Times the investigation was spurred by a few unsatisfied clients. “In a two- or three-year period, our firm handled about 33,000 cases, and only 21 people had a problem with how we represented them,” he said. “You just don’t win every case, and people get upset about that.”
