Firm Sues Ex-Lawyer for Unpaid Legal Bills of his New Employer
Updated: A New York law firm has filed a lawsuit against a counsel who worked there for just 54 days before becoming general counsel of a company that never paid its legal fees.
Cohen Tauber Spievack & Wagner sued the lawyer, Matthew Browndorf, and the California company he joined, Carlton Carrera. The 21-lawyer Cohen Tauber contends its lawyers performed more than $87,000 in legal work for Carlton Carrera at Browndorf’s request, but the legal bill was never paid, the New York Law Journal reports. The suit initially claimed Browndorf hid his intention to join Carlton Carrera so he could provide his new employer with free legal services. Browndorf disputed the allegations. And in 2011, Browndorf was dismissed from the suit entirely.
Filed in 2007, the lawsuit (PDF posted by the New York Law Journal) claimed Browndorf accepted employment with Cohen Tauber so he could continue to receive a salary and benefits while seeking a different job.
He began work with the law firm in June 2006. During his 54 days of employment, he was alleged to have billed or caused other lawyers to bill more than $100,000 in uncollected legal fees, including the $87,000 in fees billed to Carlton Carrera, the complaint says.
In 2008, a federal judge in New York denied Carlton Carrera’s request to move the lawsuit to California. His ruling (PDF posted by the New York Law Journal) said Cohen Tauber had adequately alleged that Browndorf was a New York agent of Carlton Carrera, the story says.
Before joining Cohen Tauber, Browndorf was a counsel at Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge and an associate at Bryan Cave. He maintains he acted properly while at the firm, and he is not responsible for Carlton Carrera’s debts.
Story last updated on Nov. 10, 2015, after the ABA Journal became aware of new information about the lawsuit.
