While employed by FARAH, FARAH & ABBOTT, P.A. in 2004, Florida attorney Jeffrey R. Hill learned it was regularly overcharging clients by $300 or more per case and had been doing so for several years.
September 30, 2005 (Press Release) --
Sometimes, hopefully rarely, people are victimized by someone they turned to when they were vulnerable and needed help. Taken advantage of by someone they trusted to protect their interests. Deceived by someone they had every reason to think they could trust -- someone they should have been able to trust.
Discovery of such betrayal shakes our faith. Even more so when it occurs within the sanctity of an attorney-client relationship. And still more so if the duplicity becomes so commonplace at a law firm that it's simply dismissed as a routine business practice.
Florida lawyer Jeffrey R. Hill reports that shortly after he was hired by the Jacksonville law firm of FARAH, FARAH & ABBOTT, P.A. in 2004, he learned the firm was regularly charging and collecting clearly excessive costs from its personal injury clients without their knowledge. “The firm was routinely 'padding' costs charged to clients, frequently $300 or more per case and had been doing so for several years. The firm required clients to sign settlement statements certifying that they agreed with the inflated costs before any portion of their settlement proceeds would be paid to them. The firm’s contingency fee contracts, accounting records and settlement statements clearly document its overcharging practices.”
Mr. Hill states he resigned from FARAH, FARAH & ABBOTT, P.A. in October 2004 because his discovery of its overcharging practices presented him with irreconcilable conflicts of interest as an attorney representing its clients. “In my professional judgment, the firm’s clients must be informed of its practice of misappropriating funds from similarly situated clients. On the other hand, disclosure of such information would expose my employer and its principals to risk of financial, professional and criminal sanctions." Mr. Hill considered the conflict of interest to be sufficiently serious to forego giving a traditional two-weeks notice. “I couldn’t very well say here’s two weeks notice of my resignation because you have been defrauding your clients and I’ve reported you to the State Bar. I didn’t think that would be a workable situation. What would I do for the two weeks, inform the client that the firm was defrauding other clients, or keep my mouth shut and—and--and violate my obligations to the client?”
Why, then, is Mr. Hill speaking up publicly about FARAH, FARAH & ABBOTT, P.A.’s overcharging practices now? He explains, “It’s been almost a year since I resigned from the firm and reported its overcharging activities. The firm overcharged hundreds of unsuspecting clients over a period spanning several years and the combined overcharges are estimated to be several hundred thousand dollars. City of Jacksonville, Duval County and State of Florida agencies and officials have been astonishingly apathetic about investigating. Defrauded clients remain unaware they were overcharged and are owed money. Plainly stated, justice isn't being served and nobody seems too concerned about it.”
If you believe you may be among those who were overcharged by FARAH, FARAH & ABBOTT, P.A., you are urged to immediately contact The Florida Bar at 850-561-5600.
Discovery of such betrayal shakes our faith. Even more so when it occurs within the sanctity of an attorney-client relationship. And still more so if the duplicity becomes so commonplace at a law firm that it's simply dismissed as a routine business practice.
Florida lawyer Jeffrey R. Hill reports that shortly after he was hired by the Jacksonville law firm of FARAH, FARAH & ABBOTT, P.A. in 2004, he learned the firm was regularly charging and collecting clearly excessive costs from its personal injury clients without their knowledge. “The firm was routinely 'padding' costs charged to clients, frequently $300 or more per case and had been doing so for several years. The firm required clients to sign settlement statements certifying that they agreed with the inflated costs before any portion of their settlement proceeds would be paid to them. The firm’s contingency fee contracts, accounting records and settlement statements clearly document its overcharging practices.”
Mr. Hill states he resigned from FARAH, FARAH & ABBOTT, P.A. in October 2004 because his discovery of its overcharging practices presented him with irreconcilable conflicts of interest as an attorney representing its clients. “In my professional judgment, the firm’s clients must be informed of its practice of misappropriating funds from similarly situated clients. On the other hand, disclosure of such information would expose my employer and its principals to risk of financial, professional and criminal sanctions." Mr. Hill considered the conflict of interest to be sufficiently serious to forego giving a traditional two-weeks notice. “I couldn’t very well say here’s two weeks notice of my resignation because you have been defrauding your clients and I’ve reported you to the State Bar. I didn’t think that would be a workable situation. What would I do for the two weeks, inform the client that the firm was defrauding other clients, or keep my mouth shut and—and--and violate my obligations to the client?”
Why, then, is Mr. Hill speaking up publicly about FARAH, FARAH & ABBOTT, P.A.’s overcharging practices now? He explains, “It’s been almost a year since I resigned from the firm and reported its overcharging activities. The firm overcharged hundreds of unsuspecting clients over a period spanning several years and the combined overcharges are estimated to be several hundred thousand dollars. City of Jacksonville, Duval County and State of Florida agencies and officials have been astonishingly apathetic about investigating. Defrauded clients remain unaware they were overcharged and are owed money. Plainly stated, justice isn't being served and nobody seems too concerned about it.”
If you believe you may be among those who were overcharged by FARAH, FARAH & ABBOTT, P.A., you are urged to immediately contact The Florida Bar at 850-561-5600.
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