Phila. law firm sues former client for breach of contract

A Philadelphia law firm has filed suit against a South Jersey man over claims that it has

failed to receive the balance of a payment relating to legal services provided by the plaintiff stemming from a prior matter.

Attorney Jeffrey W. Ogren filed suit Sept. 13 at Philadelphia’s Common Pleas Court on behalf of the firm for which he works, Bochetto & Lentz, against Pennsauken, N.J. resident Bruno Ferrara.

The complaint states that the defendant had hired the law firm in late October 2008 to represent him in United States v. Bruno Ferrara.

The firm set forth a fee agreement in which Ferrara would pay the plaintiff a non-refundable retainer of $10,000, the suit states.

After the retainer was exhausted, Ferrara would be billed on a monthly basis for hourly fees and costs incurred by the law firm.

The agreement also stated that “if any of our fees or costs are unpaid, and we take any action to collect same, we shall be entitled to reimbursement at our regular rates of all attorney fees and costs incurred in effecting such collection, even if we do the work ourselves,” according to the lawsuit.

The suit states that Ferrara paid the initial $10,000 retainer and the law firm began representing him in his legal matter.

Once the retainer was exhausted, the law firm continued to provide legal services to Ferrara, with the promise that the defendant would pay the monthly hourly invoice.

The law firm provided an additional $43,329.43 in legal services to the defendant, however, the man has failed to pay the bill despite repeated requests to do so, the lawsuit alleges.

“At no time did Defendant or anyone on his behalf complaint about the bills or the quality of work that was being provided by B&L pursuant to the Engagement Letter,” the complaint states. “To date, Defendant’s total bill for fees and costs of $43,329.43 remains unpaid.”

The lawsuit contains one count of breach of contract.

The plaintiff seeks the amount of the outstanding bill as well as attorney fees and costs involved in this civil action.

 

The case ID number is 120901559.