DALLAS – In January, The Record reported Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins bought up the law firm of the late Brian Loncar. Three months later, the new owners are targeting former attorneys who allegedly absconded with their clients.
On March 18, Brian Loncar P.C. (now doing business as Loncar Lyon & Jenkins) filed suit against Matthew and Valeri Malone, along with the Carlson Law Firm.
According to the lawsuit, the Malones were former employee lawyers of the Loncar firm and handled a number of vehicle collision and injury lawsuits.
The suit states the Malones had a fiduciary duty to refrain from stealing clients. But despite the obligation, they chose to negotiate with the Carlson Law firm and prepare to leave Loncar with client files.
“All the while, Defendants knew these clients, who were being contacted by Matthew and Valeri Malone, were under binding contingent fee contracts with Brian Loncar, P.C.,” the suit states.
“Defendants continue to this day to illegally solicit Plaintiffs clients so as to tortuously interfere with Plaintiffs contracts with its clients, so as to interfere with the attorney-client relationship and substantially impair and interfere with that relationship so as to be actionable in tort, contract, and repugnant to the Texas disciplinary rules of professional conduct.”
The suit accuses the defendants of having an agreement to solicit the firm’s clients.
The plaintiffs are suing for actual, special and punitive damages, plus attorney’s fees.
Ted Lyon represents the firm.
Filed in Dallas County District Court, case No. DC-20-04491