LA Law Firm Accused Of F'closure Defense Ripoff Of Over 2 Dozen Clients In Civil Suit; Accused Of Clipping Homeowners For Close To $7K In Upfront Fees

In Los Angeles, California, JD Journal reports:

• Attorneys with the Asian Pacific American Legal Center have filed a lawsuit accusing a Los Angeles law firm, Trinity Law Associates Inc., of defrauding nearly 30 Korean immigrants out of thousands of dollars by falsely promising their services would prevent foreclosures.

• According to the L.A. Times March 10 article, center attorney Yungsuhn Park said testimony indicates that the firm targeted hundreds of Korean immigrants, whose limited English and unfamiliarity with U.S. law made them particularly vulnerable.

• Trinity lawyer Timothy D. Thurman used agents who spoke Korean to recruit clients, the Center’s complaint alleges. Allegedly, Thurman and others charged clients a retainer up front around $7,000. The clients were told their litigation against lenders would forestall foreclosure and reduce the principal they owed. However, Trinity provided no actual services, the complaint also alleges. Thurman was arrested last year in conjunction with a fraud case involving another loan modification.

For the story, see Center’s Complaint Accuses Trinity Law Associates, Inc. of Defrauding Korean Immigrants.

See also:

• Los Angeles Times: Center accuses law firm of defrauding Korean immigrants (The Asian Pacific American Legal Center says many lost thousands of dollars because they were falsely promised that the firm's services would prevent foreclosures),

• KABC-TV Channel 7: Lawsuit alleges firm targeted Korean immigrants: (The suit says Trinity Law Firm hired Koreans to place ads, then illegally paid them, like bounty hunters, to bring in customers. "This practice known as 'running and capping' is against the law,"(1) said Yungsuhn Park, of the Asian Pacific American Legal Center. "Attorneys are prohibited from paying non-attorney agents to find clients.").

(1) See California Business and Professions Code sections 6151 and 6152.