Suits for Unpaid Legal Fees in Top 10 for Stupidity, Lawyer Says
A lawyer who represents a company sued for unpaid legal fees says such claims aren’t a good idea.
Lawyer Warren Trazenfeld represents Whitney Information Network, sued by the Florida law firm Rothstein Rosenfeldt Adler, allegedly for failing to pay more than $400,000 in legal bills, the Daily Business Review reports.
Trazenfeld told the publication he is planning to file a malpractice counterclaim. Suing a client is “one of the top 10 stupidest things a lawyer can do,” he said.
The story asserts the case is one of a growing number of instances in which law firms are suing clients for unpaid bills. “Most clients think the best defense is a good offense, and there’s no better offense than a counterclaim for legal malpractice,” Trazenfeld told the Daily Business Review.
Another law firm that recently filed suit for unpaid fees is Ruden McClosky, the story says. Last week the firm filed suit claiming nearly $40,000 in unpaid legal bills by the father of retired pro quarterback Bernie Kosar.
Ruden managing director Carl Schuster acknowledged that some malpractice claims have merit, but said clients often file them as a settlement tool in fee cases. “They obviously haven’t paid the bill so that’s not a defense, so they have to think up a defense,” he told the Daily Business Review.
