attorneys fees

Big Law Firms Accused of Hiding Bankruptcy Judge’s Romance (1)

A lawsuit alleging a former Texas bankruptcy judge improperly shielded a romantic relationship has been expanded to target his girlfriend, as well as law firms Kirkland & Ellis and Jackson Walker.

The amended complaint filed Thursday is part of the ongoing fallout of David R. Jones’ relationship with a former attorney at Jackson Walker, a Texas firm that regularly represented clients in Jones’ courtroom before he resigned in October.

Kirkland & Ellis, a behemoth in the restructuring community, and Jackson Walker filed “numerous misleading and dishonest federal court papers without disclosing the Jones-Freeman relationship,” plaintiff Michael Van Deelen alleged in an amended complaint filed Thursday in US District Court for the Southern District of Texas. Jackson Walker, which employed Freeman until December 2022, often served as local counsel to Kirkland & Ellis in large Chapter 11 cases.

The failure to disclose the relationship amounts to bankruptcy fraud, honest services fraud, mail and wire fraud, and obstruction of justice under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, Van Deelen said in the complaint.

“Debtors received favorable treatment and attorneys got rich in a bankruptcy system akin to shipping lettuce by rabbits,” the amended complaint said.

Van Deelen was a shareholder and

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January 14, 2024 by ATTORNEY

Partisan Politics Invades OJCC in Violation of the Judicial Code of Ethics.

OK, let’s shine a light on the 800-pound gorilla in the room. Let’s talk about something no one likes to talk about, especially attorneys: attorneys’ fees.

Yes, greedy attorneys who want to get paid. I know. I know. It is impossible to talk about attorneys’ fees without immediate outcry about greedy attorneys. Why is that? Are attorneys greedy? I am an attorney, and I can say: to the extent that I someday want to retire on more that my social security check, yes, I am greedy. I am motivated, at least in part, by my desire to earn money. What capitalist isn’t? Isn’t that the point of business? I don’t see insurance companies crying on their way to the bank. I see them crying when attorneys like me make them pay what they should pay on their own without attorneys like me dragging them to court.

It’s Just Business

So, what happens when attorneys don’t get paid enough? They find other ways to make money. Just like any businessperson would. At times, that leads them to change their areas of practice. I have been practicing Florida Workers’ Compensation Law since 1995. During my 27 years in practice, I have watched

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June 10, 2022 by LAW

4th insurance company limits writing new business in Florida

4th insurance company limits writing new business in Florida

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — A Tampa Bay area homeowner is angry at state lawmakers.

Tina Hemme, a health care worker from Palm Harbor, is scrambling to secure property insurance before a storm hits. Meanwhile, 8 On Your Side has learned a fourth insurance company is now limiting business in the Tampa Bay area.

“They’re not listening,” Hemme said. “They may say they care about their constituents, I don’t believe it.”

During a special session last month, state lawmakers passed significant reforms. They say the market will eventually stabilize. Until that happens, 8 On Your Side is striving to continue to expose the reality on the ground for families.

A month ago, Lighthouse Property Insurance sent Hemme a cancellation notice. The company was losing money and was forced to liquidate.

“We have been – literally every day – stressed, stressed, stressed,” Hemme said. “Right now, paradise doesn’t look like paradise to us anymore.”

As Hemme waits for Florida’s new property insurance laws to kick in, another company – Heritage Insurance – is suspending new business in multiple counties, including Polk County.

Heritage is joining three other insurers also declining to take on new homeowners in parts of the state: Southern fidelity,

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June 3, 2022 by INSURANCE
December 2024
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