David Ledyard, Strong Pipkin Bissell & Ledyard LLP
A Jefferson County law firm claims it was not paid more than $100,000 in fees after it won a case in a contractor's favor.
Strong, Pipkin, Bissell and Ledyard filed a lawsuit April 5 in Jefferson County District Court against Village Contractors.
In its complaint, Strong, Pipkin, Bissell and Ledyard claims it represented Village Contractors in a case against Trading Fair Inc. filed in Jefferson County District Court.
Village Contractors won the case and was awarded a final judgment and attorney's fees of $106,200 and taxable costs of $25,140.63, according to the law firm's current complaint.
"Subsequently, funds totaling $338,382 held in the registry of that court were forwarded to and received by Village Contractors," the suit states. "After receiving the funds, Village Contractors refused to pay their attorney, Strong Pipkin to discharge the attorney's fee award."
Following the resulting dispute between the law firm and the company, Village Contractors agreed to pay Strong, Pipkin, Bissell and Ledyard $131,340.63, the complaint says. The money was supposed to come from a sale of property that belonged to Trading Fair, the defendant in the original lawsuit. However, the sale never occurred, according to the complaint.
The plaintiff law firm has continued to demand the money from Village Contractors, but has not received payment, it claims.
It seeks a judgment, plus attorney's fees, pre- and post-judgment interest at the highest rate allowed by law, costs and other relief the court deems just.
Richard G. Lewis of Boneau and Lewis in Port Arthur will be representing it.
Judge Milton Shuffield, 136th District Court, has been assigned to the case.
Case No. D192-277