Williams & Connolly Sues Client for $2M, Claims Plan to Harass and Settle

Williams & Connolly has sued former client IDT for $2 million, saying the telecommunications company paid only one-third of a $3 million legal tab for representing a subsidiary in a patent case.

The complaint alleges IDT worked out a plan to pay the bill in three installments of $1 million, but reneged after the first payment, according to The BLT: The Blog of Legal Times. IDT's plan was to harass the firm over the remaining amount, and then settle for a reduced amount, the suit says.

IDT dispatched Shmuel Jonas, the son of company founder Howard Jonas, to inform the law firm of the decision not to pay, according to allegations recounted by The BLT.

The complaint says Shmuel Jonas “explained that his father had concluded that IDT ‘could harass Williams & Connolly for a couple of years and then settle out of court for a reduced amount.’ ”