HOUSTON – An area attorney is suing one of Houston’s oldest and most well known law firms, claiming she was cut out of a joint venture to represent individuals alleging Larry Nassar sexually assaulted them at Michigan State University.
The Nassar scandal was on the biggest in sports history and resulted in a massive $500 million settlement.
Seeking an accounting of some of those settlement funds, Emily Detoto filed suit against Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Sorrels, Agosto, Aziz & Strogner on May 15 in Harris County District Court.
According to the lawsuit, on Feb. 16, 2018, Detoto and Abraham Watkins entered into a joint venture to represent Nassar victims. Detoto was to receive a percentage of the recovery of all cases settled.
“At some point during the venture, as is common for (Abraham Watkins), Defendant decided too much money was at stake and decided to cut Plaintiff out of the venture without her knowledge or consent in an effort to wrongfully conceal information,” the suit states. “Defendant has since refused to provide details regarding the Nassar Litigation … despite her requests.”
The Nassar Litigation, which included around 332 plaintiffs, settled in 2018.
Detoto says it is unknown how many total plaintiffs Abraham Watkins and the venture represented.
“On information and belief, Defendant settled all the venture’s cases, and collected and distributed money received in the Nassar Litigation,” the suit states. “However, Defendant has refused to provide information related to the number of plaintiffs the venture represented or any accounting of funds collected and distributed by the venture.”
Detoto is represented by Houston attorney Sean Roberts of Roberts Markland.
Case No. 2020-29680