Font Size: 
Recruiting Firm Hits Lewis Brisbois With $100 Million Lawsuit Over Placement Fee
The National Law Journal
October 07, 2009
An attorney recruiting firm has leveled a $100 million lawsuit against Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith, claiming that the law firm squeezed it out of a placement deal last summer.
CB Legal Search LLC contends that it helped orchestrate an insurance practice group's move in July from Chicago's Bollinger, Ruberry & Garvey to Los Angeles-based Lewis Brisbois but was cut out of the deal by the law firm.
The lawsuit, originally filed in Texas state court but moved last month to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, alleges that Lewis Brisbois committed fraud by promising to sign an agreement with the recruiter for placing the attorneys when it had no intention of actually doing so.
Representing Lewis Brisbois is Elizabeth D. Alvarado, who declined comment on the lawsuit. She is with Shannon, Martin, Finkelstein & Alvarado in Houston.
In its complaint, CB Legal Search contends that it introduced Edward Ruberry, a partner at Bollinger, Ruberry & Garvey, to "senior-level employees" at Lewis Brisbois on March 12. During the meeting, Ruberry revealed the names of attorneys at his law firm who would be interested in moving to Lewis Brisbois. Following the meeting, CB Legal Search requested that Lewis Brisbois sign a confidentiality agreement.
The following day, the complaint continues, Les Sullivan, Lewis Brisbois' chief financial officer at the time, sent an e-mail to the recruiting firm saying that each party would sign a copy. However, an agreement was never signed.
CB Legal Search "moved forward in the placement process" and sent the law firm details about Bollinger Ruberry's finances that Lewis Brisbois used in hiring the attorneys, the complaint alleges. In July, Lewis Brisbois issued a press release announcing that eight partners and four associates led by Jeffrey A. Goldwater from Bollinger Ruberry had joined the firm. Edward Ruberry remains a partner at Bollinger Ruberry.
The action also asserts a claim of negligent representation. It seeks $100 million in punitive and actual damages, but does not disclose the size of the fee that the recruiter says it should have received.
Representing CB Legal Search is Muhammad S. Aziz of Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Sorrels, Agosto & Friend in Houston.
