NEWARK, N.J. (Legal Newsline) – The Sekas Law Group and its owner, Nicholas G. Sekas, have filed a complaint with the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey against its former controller, Doreen Paolella.
In the 12-page complaint filed Dec. 14, the Sekas Law Group alleges that Paolella was negligent in her duties as controller and caused damages to the law group. They are suing Paolella over allegations of breach of contract, unjust enrichment, negligence, fraud and conversion.
They allege that in her position as controller, Paolella made late payments to vendors of the law group. In one instance, they allege because she failed to make a payment on time on the firm’s American Express corporate account, it was locked by the credit card company.
Paolella allegedly also used money from the firm to pay the premiums on her health insurance and dental insurance. Additionally, she allegedly would show up late for work and often skipped work altogether on Fridays.
The law firm noted that it had provided legal services for Paolella when she purchased a house in Manahawkin, New Jersey. The Sekas Law Group alleged it provided these services at a discounted rate.
However, the suit states Paolella had assumed that the law group would provide those services for free and refused to pay. The plaintiffs allege they later learned that she had been previously denied a mortgage for the property and that she had filed for bankruptcy. These factors allegedly were never disclosed to the law group when they hired her in her position as controller.
After being placed on probation, the law group alleges that she continued to act unprofessionally. Also, she allegedly referred to an African-American attorney who also worked at the Sekas Law Group as “Obama.” Eventually, she resigned her position when confronted about her behavior, the suit states.
Once leaving the firm, the suit states she continued to have access to medical coverage. However, in August 2018, she allegedly stopped making payments.
The suit states Paolella tried to apply for unemployment benefits with the state but was denied since she had resigned from her job.
“These actions and damages, as aforementioned, remain ongoing and will continue well into the future as Sekas Law Group LLC and Nicholas G. Sekas, Esq. seek to correct defendant’s mistakes and unprofessionalism,” the suit states.
The plaintiffs are represented by Gregg F. Paster of Gregg F. Paster & Associates of Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey.