Sheri Qualters at The National Law Journal reports that Mintz, Levin and its attorney Steven Rosenthal have been sued for “allegedly misusing his position to enrich himself and a friend.” Rosenthal, formerly an attorney there, has moved on to real estate investment and development at Northland Investment Corp.
The suit revolves around a claim that Rosenthal “appointed a friend, Neil Cooper, and his company, Macher Management and Development Corp.
The Lamb v. Rosenthal lawsuit, which was filed in Suffolk County Superior Court in Massachusetts on Sept. 16, accuses Rosenthal and Mintz Levin of fraud, breach of fiduciary duty and legal malpractice. The plaintiffs also allege that the defendants violated the Massachusetts consumer protection law, which allows plaintiffs to collect triple damages and attorney fees. They accuse Rosenthal of threatening to oppose the appointment of the plaintiffs as their mothers’ guardian unless they signed a settlement agreement, which was finalized in 2006.
The plaintiffs claim they learned of Rosenthal and Cooper’s close friendship and how they improperly protected each others’ interests at the expense of the plaintiffs when Cooper’s company sued them in Essex County Superior Court in Massachusetts.
Cooper filed the 2007 lawsuit, Macher Development & Management Company LLC v. Stevens, to collect money the plaintiffs in the Rosenthal case allegedly owed him under his contracts to manage their commercial property. The Macher lawsuit was settled in July 2008.
According to the complaint in the recently filed lawsuit, during the discovery process in the Macher suit, Mintz Levin produced e-mails in which Cooper referred to Rosenthal as his “best friend” and “soul mate.” The complaint cites another Cooper e-mail in which he said he didn’t want it to look as though Rosenthal was negotiating for him and that a little “fake tension” between them would look good. “