ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (Legal Newsline) – A New Mexico legal group is suing a California legal group and its owners and officers over claims they did not provide leads for legal cases they were paid to provide.
The Branch Law Firm Legal Group and Turner W. Branch, individually and doing business as The Branch Law Firm, filed a lawsuit Oct. 19 in Bernalillo County District Court against Attorney for You, also known as Mass Tort Legal Group; Calliope Media; Tom Arthur; Jeremy C. Shafer; Nathaniel Robinson; Jason L. Duarte; Andrew Syverson; and John Does 1-10, alleging breach of contract, negligent misrepresentation and unfair practices.
The suit states the defendants contacted the Branch Law Firm in response to its inquiry into leads for legal cases involving Lipitor, Testosterone (Low-T), and Invokana.
The defendants informed the Branch Law Firm that they would be able to obtain certain leads for these cases, so the Branch Law Firm forwarded the defendants $150,000 for payment of their services.
The suit states no such services were provided, and that the defendants' leads were faulty, inadequate, or not really leads at all. The defendants have not refunded money to the Branch Law Firm, either, according to the suit.
The plaintiff seeks actual damages of more than $150,000, plus punitive and exemplary damages and costs of the suit. The plaintiff is representing itself.
The defendants filed Oct. 29 to remove the case to federal court because of the diversity of citizenship of all parties and because the amount in controversy exceeds $75,000.
Bernalillo County District Court Case number 1:15-CV-01087-WPL