Stealing Clients

Turns out stealing clients from other law firms is not only unethical, it is expensive:

A jury has awarded a law firm $1.4 million in damages because several of its clients were stolen by a rookie lawyer at another firm.

Rosenberg Minc, a personal injury firm, had sued another personal injury firm, Mallilo & Grossman, and one of that firm's lawyers for carrying out the client theft scheme.

Vogt said trial evidence showed Pimsler, a 1997 graduate of Touro Law School, called Rosenberg Minc's answering service every weekend between March 1998 and May 1999, pretended to be a partner in the firm and collected messages.

Pimsler used the messages to contact Rosenberg Minc's potential clients, meet them and get them to sign retainer agreements for Mallilo & Grossman, Vogt said.

Well that was innovative, to say the least. It also got Pimsler disbarred. Sometimes thinking outside the box takes you too far outside.