| ► Attorney Philip Zauderer of Girard, OH; ethical dwarf |
 |
 |
|
Attorney Philip Zauderer of Girard, OH; ethical dwarf
The state of Ohio presented Philip Q. Zauderer with a law license in 1964 after he graduated from Franklin University Law School located in Ada, Ohio.
The Columbus Bar Association found Philip guilty of the following misconduct.
Phil entered into several hundred contingent fee agreements involving clients claiming damages against the manufacturer of the Dalkon Shield.
Over a one year period, Phil placed newspaper ads stating that he was “presently representing women on such cases” and was available to handle others on a contingent fee bases.
While representing his clients (victims), Phil failed to inform his clients that extraordinary general expenses were being incurred for them and similarly situated clients and that a portion of those expenses would eventually be charged to the individual client’s account.
When a settlement was had, Phil who was in a position of dominance because he was in control of the settlement funds and attempted a unilateral alteration of the contingent fee contracts with his clients. He allocated to their cases a portion of extraordinary expenses which the clients might not have anticipated, and allocated as well the cost s of medical and expert witnesses who, under his contracts, could be employed by him only after consultation with his clients.
Phil then put his clients in a “take it or leave it” position unless they accepted the terms of the settlement he foisted upon them. In so act, Phil denied his client/victims the opportunity to seek other counsel that likely would not have attempted to charge them for exorbitant fees and costs.
As a consequence of his misconduct, the Patron Saints for Attorney Misfits sitting on the Ohio Supreme Court punished Philip by gifting him with a complimentary stayed 1-year suspension of his law license.
In truth, the comedians sitting on the Ohio Supreme Court didn’t mete out any meaningful punishment to Philip.
As we speak (ca. August 2013), Philip practices with Philip Zauderer Law Office at 6345 Sodom Hutchings Road in Girard, Ohio.
|
