PI Law Firm Owes $1.5M for Phone Book Ads, Bankruptcy Petition Says

A Florida law firm with a name apparently designed for phone book advertising has filed for bankruptcy, listing $1.5 million in debt to companies that publish yellow pages directories.

The personal injury firm, A Advocates & Attorneys, is an affiliate of the Kennedy Law Group in Tampa, whose president, Thomas Kennedy, appears on local TV to answer viewer questions, the Tampa Bay Business Journal reports. The firm lists total liabilities between $1 million and $10 million, and assets between $100,000 and $500,000.

Legal Blog Watch noted the story and wondered whether the money would have been well spent. “In an age of social media, I cannot imagine how directory advertising can be worth this kind of money,” writes blogger Robert Ambrogi. “Lawyers should let their fingers do the walking—right out of the phone book and onto their keyboards. Launch a blog. Start to Twitter. Join Facebook. It won't cost anywhere near $1.5 million. As a matter of fact, it needn't cost a penny.”