HOUSTON – A Harris County lawsuit accuses three attorneys and their respective firms of engaging in a barratry scheme.
Truck driver Dezzie Brumfield, doing business as LAD Enterprises, filed the suit in the Harris County 189th District Court on June 8. Listed as defendants are Jimmy Williamson; Jimmy Williamson, PC; Williamson & Rusnak; Cyndi Rusnak; Cyndi Rusnak, PLLC; and the Law Offices of Michael Pohl.
Recent court documents allege Williamson, Rusnak, and their entities concocted the scheme in the wake of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. They enlisted Pohl to form what the complaint labels a barratry joint venture.
“The lawyers agreed that they would split the profits from any fruits of the barratry joint venture with 40% of any attorney’s fees derived from the BP litigation going to Pohl and 60% going to Williamson and Rusnak,” the original petition explains. “Williamson and Rusnak agreed to split their 60% of the fees according to the amount of resources each put into the cases after they had been improperly solicited.”
Brumfield claims to be among the victims of the purported scheme, stating that he was solicited into hiring the respondents approximately five years ago.
From 2012 to 2015, the suit asserts, the plaintiff provided necessary information to support his BP economic loss claim. He reportedly incurred $1,200 in expenses because of the aforementioned solicitation.
Per the complainant, the defendants notified him in August 2015 that they would no longer help him with his claims. Brumfield says he consequently suffered financial losses and mental anguish.
A jury trial is requested.
Attorney Lance Christopher Kassab of The Kassab Law Firm in Houston serves as Brumfield’s lead counsel.
Harris County 189th District Court Case No. 2017-38294