The ousted chief executive of Philadelphia-based Republic Bank has sued Holland & Knight in Pennsylvania state court for allegedly charging excessive fees in exchange for “ineffective and unsatisfactory” legal services involving a clash for control with other board members.

Vernon Hill, who served as the CEO of Republic First Bancorp from 2019 until his ouster in 2022, alleged in a complaint Dec. 8 that the Am Law 50 firm engaged in “gross overstaffing, top-heavy staffing, duplicative billing and excessive billing” that resulted in nearly $7 million in charges over a 16-month period.