The guardian for an elderly woman has filed a lawsuit against a prominent Milwaukee law firm and a suspended lawyer, claiming the lawyer stole more than $600,000 from her.
Supportive Community Services, the legal guardian for Dorothy G. Phinney, filed the lawsuit against Quarles & Brady and Jeffrey Elverman, a lawyer who was with the firm when the alleged theft occurred between December 2001 and September 2004.
According to the lawsuit, Phinney hired Elverman in 2000 while he worked at Quarles & Brady.
Christopher Stawski, a lawyer representing Phinney, said the money was discovered missing in 2008, shortly after a Milwaukee County judge found Phinney incompetent and appointed Supportive Community Services as her guardian. Elverman fought the appointment, saying that she had given him her power of attorney.
Stawski also said that when Elverman left Quarles & Brady in 2004, he did not tell his new firm, Michael Best & Friedrich, that Phinney was his client. Information regarding her account was sent directly to Elverman's home.
The lawsuit seeks treble damages as well as the cost of the investigation and litigation.
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Lawyer accused of robbing client
Supportive Community Services, the legal guardian for Dorothy G. Phinney, filed the lawsuit against Quarles & Brady and Jeffrey Elverman, a lawyer who was with the firm when the alleged theft occurred between December 2001 and September 2004.
According to the lawsuit, Phinney hired Elverman in 2000 while he worked at Quarles & Brady.
Christopher Stawski, a lawyer representing Phinney, said the money was discovered missing in 2008, shortly after a Milwaukee County judge found Phinney incompetent and appointed Supportive Community Services as her guardian. Elverman fought the appointment, saying that she had given him her power of attorney.
Stawski also said that when Elverman left Quarles & Brady in 2004, he did not tell his new firm, Michael Best & Friedrich, that Phinney was his client. Information regarding her account was sent directly to Elverman's home.
The lawsuit seeks treble damages as well as the cost of the investigation and litigation.
Full Article and Source:
Lawyer accused of robbing client
Lawyers are licensed; they have a License to Steal"!
ReplyDeleteThere are many others out there who should be jailed, but they're protected by their self0-policing system!
This is a double edged sword.
ReplyDeleteThe guardian is pursuing its fiduciary responsibility, but the ironic twist is that doing so benefits the guardian - not the ward. The recovery of funds. if any, will go into the ward's estate - and then billed out by the guardian.
I wonder what the guardian's take of this lawsuit will be?
ReplyDeleteWhat's in it for the guardian? That needs to be considered here too.
ReplyDeleteI like to see lawyers and guardians at odds. It's a rare sight. And who will overcome?
ReplyDeleteVery interesting development in a state where ALL guardianship files are closed, sealed.
ReplyDeleteNo opportunity for audit and review of guardianship case files.
Imagine the anger, shock, horror and fireworks display when Supportive Community Services acting as guardian to Dorothy G. Phinney discovered this significant amount of money was seized, disbursed before the guardianship for profit company was able to seize their wards assets for themselves.
These are some high powered, well known, connected lawyers and lawfirms, the stakes are high, very high.
The judgment can very well be in excess of $1 million dollars.
We need to keep eyes wide open on this explosive case.
Guardian sues lawyer - guardian bills ward.
ReplyDeleteGuardian gets rich - ward gets nothing.
But the record appears like the guardian actually guarded the ward.