Friday, February 5, 2010

Gossip Tapas for Your Weekend


I love getting together with my Delta Nu sisters for a quick lunch. They know their legal gossip and can often confirm the things I've read in the comments.

It has been confirmed Corey Eschweiler and another attorney from Glaser Weil's Las Vegas office left to work with The Heavy Hitter. This is quite a change of scenery. Joel Gray sang it best in Cabaret, "money makes the world go 'round, the world go 'round..."

Robert Schumacher, formerly of Peel Brimley, moved to Gorden & Rees's Las Vegas office. It is our understanding that some Peel associates followed Schumacher.

Now, word on the street is that Peel Brimley has to disgorge $1.8 million in fees; however, we don't have confirmation of this rumor. Do any of our readers know about this?

47 comments:

  1. Anyone know what's going on with Paul Powell, the Heavy Hitter's former heavy hitter?

    It's always good to see a former defense attorney (dark side) leave to become a plaintiffs attorney (the force of justice). Good job, Corey. I know you did it for the honor, not the money.

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    1. I can't believe how he abandoned myself and other patients a few yrs back and left us.
      I'm completely disabled now and have CRPS in all my extremities and can barely walk. I'm permanently disabled now and being sued for all my medical bills.
      I hate this man. I have pain everyday and yes I'm a college educated women. Oh yeah I can't forget the hospital he sent me to killed me and I stopped breathing. Please I want help bc of this lawyer

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  2. "Bob?" Elle, you must either not know him or not like him.

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  3. Schumacher left Peel Brimley a few weeks ago. He took his associate (the one he hired and who had never worked for another partner at the firm), his paralegal, and his secretary (which changes about every 2 months). His team was the only team at Peel Brimley who did insurance work and his work rarely intertwined with the rest of the firm. The only way people realized he was gone is that they no longer heard cussing down the hallways.

    What is the $1.8 million about?

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  4. Oh no! I fixed the Bob. I will neither confirm nor deny if I have worked with him on a case, but he has always been referred to as Bob around me. I apologize for any offense.

    The only thing I know about Powell is that he formed the Powell Litigation Group (I think that's the right name. It might be Powell Law Group. Or the Bob Law Group with the way I'm going today.) I've heard positive things but nothing concrete.

    No one knew much about the $1.8M, so that is why we're asking. There is a rumor floating out there, so we're curious if anyone can confirm or deny. All that we know is that it was $1.8M disgorgement of fees.

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  5. Not gossip, but still good, Jane FatAss Morrison finally has something smart to say:

    WASTED DAYS AND WASTED NIGHTS: Amber Candelaria seemed to be wasting taxpayer resources.

    Candelaria decided to run for a new Las Vegas justice of the peace seat in Department 14. The other candidates are Colby Beck, Conrad Hafen and Bernie Zadrowski.

    But it looks like she hasn't been an attorney for five years, one of the requirements to run.

    The five years of experience starts with admittance to the bar, according to Matt Griffin, elections deputy for Secretary of State Ross Miller.

    Candelaria was admitted to the bar on Oct. 17, 2006.

    One of her opponents, Zadrowski, challenged whether she qualifies for the ballot, and the DA's office has filed a complaint to remove her from the ballot.

    A 2006 graduate of the Boyd Law School at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Candelaria is director of the Civil Law Self-Help Center at the Regional Justice Center. She is relying on a bill for her dues from the State Bar of Nevada saying she has been admitted for five years. Really. A bill is her "evidence."

    Unless she has something else to offer, she is going to have a tough time convincing Judge James Bixler.

    Candelaria said Friday she's not wasting taxpayer dollars; she's challenging the constitutionality of a law passed in 2005 by the Legislature setting requirements that judicial candidates have a certain number of years experience.

    If she wins on constitutional grounds and overturns the law, then she's the heroine of all those who say judges don't need any experience.

    But if she loses, she'll be remembered for wasting taxpayer dollars.

    Sometimes you need to pick your fights wisely. This one is a non-winner for Candelaria, no matter what happens.

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  6. What about "Bob Lob Law's Law Group"?

    As for the whole Calendaria thing-there is a mixed ass message. How can the bar/state tell attorneys they have been practicing for five years when it means more money for them (when, in fact, a first grader who can count can tell you it hasn't been five years), but not count as five years for determining requisite years for a JOP position? Lame sauce.

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  7. Powell went and opened up his own shop but still serves as the litigation branch for Lerner's mill. I hear Powell took a bunch of crap cases and is sinking fast financially. He's an ok attorney, but his head is so big it gets in his way. Word is that he's also lost a lot of credibility in the community. He's withdrawn from at least 10 cases he has with me and probably hundreds total just within the last 3 months. Oh, and he's being sued for millions by his former partner. The pleadings actually make for good reading.

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  8. Hey 6:21, how about a case number on that one?

    As to the first poster, how can you label Glaser Weil as a defense firm? There is a drastic difference between commercial litigation and insurance defense. This distinction is often blurred on this site, and I don't understand why. I work at one of the bigger shops in town. Our cases typically involve contract or business disputes, and I have NEVER been involved in a case where we were retained by an insurer. Just as often as not, we represent the plaintiff. I understand that some of the larger shops have one or two partners who do ID work, but its generally limited and certainly should not be used to define the practice scope of the entire firm.

    Glaser Weil was doing a lot of title defense work, but no PI cases. Corey and Adam were not "defense attorneys."

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  9. Powell has the great misfortune of being on the receiving end of a hissy fit over money by an effeminate nobody who was a nobody when Lerner and Powell found him and will return to being a nobody when the litigation is over.

    "Pauly, I want half. boo hoo!"

    Case No. A566761

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  10. I think I'd be embarrassed to see myself named as a "Superlawyer." You have to pay to have your name appear on the list, which is really kind of pathetic. "Hey look at me, I'm a Superlawyer." You're paying for accolades. The more dignified thing to do is let your reputation stand for itself. I guess from a marketing standpoint it's a good investment because many people I'm sure don't know you have to pay to get on the list. But, to brag about it to your colleagues in the legal community who know or to hold yourself up as being recognized as a "Superlawyer" because you're on the list is embarrassing.

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  11. 6:21:

    I hadn't heard Powell was sinking, but I guess it doesn't surprise me. It seems he tried to grow way too big, way too fast. He's a nice enough guy, but I think he got caught up in trying to be like Eglet and Vannah, and even wanted to surpass them as having the largest Plaintiff shop in town. Financially, maybe he would have been better off staying with Lerner.

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  12. I know it's off topic, but doesn't the new Gage/Awand trial start today? I'm surprised Jane Ann didn't post anything.

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  13. http://www.lasvegassun.com/blogs/ralstons-flash/2010/feb/08/ugly-lawsuit-between-former-garbage-czar-ex-electe/

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  14. To February 7, 2010 9:48 AM: A lot of prestigious local law firms that advertise themselves on their websites and martindale as commercial litigators in fact do some insurance defense (ID). I've had personal injury cases against attorneys doing insurance defense from Greenberg Traurig, Snell & Wilmer, Holland & Hart, and Lionel Sawyer, to name a few. Interestingly, most of the attorneys I've dealt with from those firms advertise themselves on their websites as business and commercial litigators with no mention of doing ID or personal injury work. I think the explanation for that might be twofold: 1) those firms and attorneys are embarrassed about doing low-brow personal injury work, and 2) it is wishful thinking on their parts, meaning those firms and attorneys want to solicit prospective clients in business and commercial litigation by claiming that is their area of expertise, even though they really pay their bills and keep the lights on by doing ID.

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  15. 7:35 - You don't need to pay (and can't) to be named a Superlawyer, but those fancy ads in the announcement magazine cost bucks.

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  16. 7:35...you do have to pay...get your facts right.

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  17. Super Lawyers - you don't have to pay to be a "Rising Star", but maybe that's to set up the future solicitation.

    Insurance Defense - why would any commercial litigator want to claim that they were an insurance defense attorney?

    Candalaria - why is she even running to be a justice of the peace when she's never done litigation before, let alone evictions, criminal, or $10,000 and lower civil actions? Just go away.

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  18. @ 9:13

    What do you mean Eglet and Vannah have the "largest plaintiff shop in town?" Largest what? Certainly not the largest number of lawyers or staff. Not the largest number of cases, either.

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  19. @3:00,

    Who has the largest PI firm in town, by # of attorneys? What about by # of clients? What about by amount of fees?

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  20. @3:00

    Unless you are an MEC or V&V employee, I find it difficult to believe that you know what either firm's case load is. As for number of attorneys, V&V obviously does not have too many, but MEC arguably has one of the highest number of attorneys.

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  21. Don't know about Bob (Eglet's) firm being the largest but Lerner's website says he has the largest personal injury firm in Nevada. This isn't true by any stretch of the imagination.

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  22. @7:49...no way he's got the biggest PI firm-wtf-so that's what he tells the public? Paul Powell? He's not too bad of a guy but when my stingy insurance clients see my firm billing for us attending hearing after hearing a Motion to Withdraw that his firm's been filing, they don't get too pleased. As for Eschweiler and whomever my buddy works at Lerner's and says they're working up another litigation practice-but Powell might file suit because he and Lerner are supposed to have a contract where Powell gets the litigation and Lerner's been keeping them now. Sounds like another suit between friends. Score one for another hired gun to fight that battle. Marquis?

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  23. Somebody please tell me another NV PI firm that has over 10-12 attorneys. Even more so, somebody tell me a NV PI firm who actually has a real litigation practice with over 10-12 attorneys.

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  24. According to the Nevada Legal Directory, the Plaintiff shops shake out as follows:

    Richard Harris Law Firm, Mainor Eglet Cottle and Powell Litigation have 9 lawyers each.

    Henness & Haight has 8 lawyers.

    Benson Bertoldo and Vannah & Vannah have 7 lawyers each.

    The Ed Bernstein, Tom Christensen and Craig Kenny firms have 6 lawyers each.

    Greenman et al, Lerner and Shook & Stone have 5 lawyers each.

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  25. Actually, I believe MEC had 12 attorneys (including partners and associates), until one just left not too long ago. Also, if I'm not mistaken, one of them works from Reno (her husband is the SOS of Nevada, so she no longer lives in Vegas).

    -9:13

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  26. 1:48 - 12:01 here. You can't pay to be NAMED a Super Lawyer - I know because I've been named one and neither I nor my firm ever pay and we don't buy the ads either.

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  27. Hey everyone, attention, hello, LOOK at me, I'm a Super Lawyer. Lame

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  28. 5:27 - I would agree with you if the post were not ANONYMOUS

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  29. I read some of the pleadings in case A566761.

    Powell (and Lerner) made mistakes. The first one was giving equity to an attorney with not much litigation or business experience. The mistakes after the first one only compounded their problems. If Powell (and Lerner) were so unhappy with FN they should have done something other than what they did. Now, they will probably have to pay lots of $$ in atty fees and settlement or verdict to fix this mess.

    The docket is huge. They all have expensive "commercial litigators" working for them. EXPEN$IVE, non insurance rates. Safe guess is that total fees are aleady above $200,000.

    The few transcripts on wiznet are an interesting to read.

    Yeah, it's still raining.

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  30. I'm trying to grasp some of the stupid Superlawyer comments claiming you have to pay. It's black and white.

    I guarantee that I have never paid a dime and I've been a Superlawyer every year. Any moron attorney who claims that you have to pay to be voted in by your peers and listed after the magazine does extensive research is showing why those people aren't Top 5% material.

    This isn't rocket science, people. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO PAY A CENT, BRIBE ANYONE, TAKE ANYONE TO DINNER OR DO ANYTHING ELSE OTHER THAN SIMPLY BE A REALLY GOOD LAWYER WITH A STRONG REPUTATION.

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  31. 7:17:

    Nobody is talking about that any more. Now they are talking about how pretentious it is, instead. We get it, you're a "super lawyer," "top 5% material," etc. etc. Sad thing is you are still insecure enough to have to brag about it and use terms such as "top 5% material." Get over yourself.

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  32. 7:32 --- How am I pretentious and bragging if I'm anonymous???

    If I wanted to be pretentious and brag, then I'd use my identity and I would also add in that I'm in the Best Lawyers in America book (Top1.5% or so, I think) and AV-rated (although I don't think Martindale-Hubbell is all that accurate).

    I was simply correcting the attorneys who were lying about having to pay to be a Superlawyer.

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  33. 7:32...someday I hope my shit doesn't stink either

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  34. "If I wanted to be pretentious and brag, then I'd use my identity and I would also add in that I'm in the Best Lawyers in America book (Top1.5% or so, I think) and AV-rated (although I don't think Martindale-Hubbell is all that accurate)."

    Sorry, your pretentious bragging was apparently a little delayed.

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  35. @ 7:17, sure you don't have to pay to be a Superlawyer, you or your firm just has to go out and solicit votes for you. Even more lame than paying in my opinion. You sound like a douche, I highly doubt you were voted in without some help.

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  36. I'm da Heavy Hittah! And if anyone's shit don't stink it's mine! I'm da Superest of all da Supah Lawyahs and bettah than all of yous! Bahaaaaahaahaa! Don't like my commercials? I can do what I want f*%k the Bar! [Posting this was more fun than writing this brief I've been working on all friggin day it was either this or Facebook.] Being a first year sucks.

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  37. The maturity level has dropped a lot since earlier. Please don't make fun of the Heavy Hitter. His commercials are entertaining and my favorite are those Geico caveman commercials he does. Get your facts straight the bar doesn't regulate any of those freakin ads. LOL

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  38. 4:43, I don't need to solicit votes. I assume Superlawyers starts with the lawyers in the Best Lawyers in America book as a given. Hey, rather than whine like a little teenage girl about how the world has wronged you, why not go out and spend your energy on improving your standing with your peers so you can have your name next to mine on all these pretentious lists so you too can brag like me. I'll tell you, it doesn't suck to be me.

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  39. 4:43 = Scotty La'Douche

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  40. In my experience, for anybody who has to say "it doesn't suck to be me," it probably would really suck to be them. Just my $.02.

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  41. 4:43 = Scotty "it doesn't suck to be me" La'Douche

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  42. Or me.

    The Situation

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  43. All- I agree with the pretentious guy. Good for him. I wish I could get in too. And he is right...He's not being pretentious posting anonymously. I'm jealous and I admit it. The rest of ya'll oughta do something about it like he says. He's a little arrogant, but he's absolutely right. If I were him, I'd be arrogant too. Since he hasn't disclosed who he is, then why are all you non-Superlawyers getting your panties all bunched up? He isn't doing anything to you other than telling you what it takes to get recognized.

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  44. "All- I agree with the pretentious guy. Good for him. I wish I could get in too. And he is right...He's not being pretentious posting anonymously."

    Bwaha....how's that for talking out both sides of your mouth. You agree with the pretentious guy, but then say he is not pretentious. Nice. The point is, anonymous or not, people don't like dicks. He sounds like a dick-though I admittedly could be totally wrong if I got to know the guy. But all I have to go on is anonymous first impressions.

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  45. Just got my Super Lawyers letter in the mail. The letter clearly says that it has nothing to do with any payments.

    Those of you who were disagreeing with the guy/gal who suggested that you spend your time working on your lawyering skills owe him/her an apology.

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