News
Elvis D. Gonzalez successfully vacated a nearly eight-month old judgment that was entered against his clients after an individual posing as an attorney absconded with monies paid for their supposed representation.
The case began when two partners in a Chicago restaurant consulted with Mr. Gonzalez about legal papers they received, notifying them of a judgment and commanding them to provide information about their finances. Six months earlier, they had paid a sizeable retainer to an individual to represent them in a dispute with their previous landlord. In reality, the individual was not an attorney, and a judgment had been entered against the partners by default.
Ordinarily, parties are bound by the acts of their lawyer - even negligent acts in the course of representation. Further, judgments can ordinarily only be vacated after 30 days where the litigants can demonstrate meritorious defenses and due diligence in presenting those defenses. However, Mr. Gonzalez persuasively argued that his clients were not bound by the individual's actions because he was not actually a lawyer. He also demonstrated that, notwithstanding the long delay in the case, they had acted diligently.
About Elvis Gonzalez, Ltd.
Elvis Gonzalez, Ltd. is based in Chicago, Illinois, and provides quality litigation and general business counseling services to clients in a highly personalized, cost-effective manner. Its principal, Elvis D. Gonzalez, works with businesses and organizations of all types to solve the legal challenges they face, and more importantly, to avoid them in the first instance. For more information, please visit www.elvisgonzalezltd.com.
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