At least six law firms in New Jersey and Texas used invalid retainer agreements to charge illegally excessive contingency fees for more than 1,400 clients who sued over transvaginal mesh devices, according to a new class action.

The suit alleged legal malpractice claims against Nagel Rice in Roseland and the Potts Law Firm in Houston, along with at least four other firms in Houston. Plaintiff Debbie Gore, a resident of Dickinson, Texas, alleged that her retainer agreement paid a 40% contingency fee, which was illegal under New Jersey law. She filed the case Monday in Bergen County Superior Court, where mesh lawsuits against C.R. Bard Inc. and Johnson & Johnson’s Ethicon Inc. have been coordinated.