Most people in Indiana think that if anyone has a grasp on employment law, it’s the lawyers who work in that practice area every day that do. But when it comes to contract disputes and other employment conflicts, even these workers aren’t immune to the troubles of litigation.
Such is the case for one attorney who is suing his former employer for $600,000 in unpaid wages after he was let go from the law firm in 2011. The attorney says the money is owed to him as part of the firm’s 2008 partnership agreement as well as a separation agreement he signed upon his departure from the firm.
One of his former colleagues disagrees, however, calling the complaint against the firm a “frivolous lawsuit brought by a disgruntled and desperate former partner.” According to the firm, they intend on asking a court judge for permission to pay the former attorney money associated with several cases the firm settled in 2012. But it’s money the lawyer says he doesn’t want.
The terms of his departure from the firm barred him from practicing law for one year, which is something the former partner says he has not violated in anyway. The money being requested by the firm for the 2012 cases would undermine the former attorney’s suspension from the firm, and by accepting the money, he could damage his case in the long run.
This case demonstrates to people in Indiana that just because you know the law that doesn’t make you immune to litigation. Contract disputes and employment conflicts can happen to any employee, regardless of their knowledge in employment law. And despite preparation, legal battles such as this can still be a headache to sort out. Whether you’re well versed in the law or not, it’s always a good idea to seek legal representation for matters such as this. After all, it never hurts to get a second opinion.
Source: The ABA Journal, “Ex-partner sues Thompson Wigdor for $600K; former colleague calls him ‘disgruntled and desperate’,” Martha Neil, April 9, 2013