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SOUTHEAST TEXAS RECORD

Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Kent Livesay gets caught in a storm of his own making

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They call it stormy Monday, but Tuesday's just as bad

Wednesday's worse, and Thursday's also sad 

Native son T-Bone Walker recorded that blues classic 70 years ago. It's the plaintive lament of a man who's lost the woman he loves, but it could be the upbeat theme song for hailstorm attorneys, many of whom seem to relish storms and delight in other people's misfortune.

Edinburg lawyer Kent Livesay, for one, used to enjoy – and profit from – a good storm, but now the clouds have gathered over his head and the sky is getting darker.

Late last year, the Texas State Bar's Commission for Lawyer Discipline censured Livesay for violating the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct and required him to surrender his law license for a year.

The Commission had earlier filed a disciplinary petition against Livesay in Hidalgo County and secured a judgment of professional misconduct against him for demanding hail storm damages from Allstate on behalf of a client he did not represent.

Livesay was obliged to pay nearly $2,300 in attorney’s fees, publish notice of his censure in the Texas Bar Journal, notify all clients of his suspension, and return all files, papers, monies, and property belonging to the clients.

But that was just the beginning of his troubles.

When it rains, it pours, and Livesay is getting drenched. He's now facing criminal charges in Tarrant County accused of engaging in organized crime.  

Following an investigation by the Texas Department of Insurance Fraud Unit, Livesay was indicted by a grand jury for fraud related to lawsuits he is accused of filing over a two-year period against insurance companies without the homeowners’ knowledge or consent.

Livesay may be one of the first hailstorm attorneys held accountable for questionable practices, but he's not likely to be the last. Others are sure to follow. After years of chasing storms, they're eventually going to catch one – just like Livesay did.

They know who they are.

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