Ruth
A Thursday morning hearing in a fee dispute between an Edwardsville law firm and an attorney who worked with it on litigation stemming from oil contamination in Hartford, was canceled due to winter weather.
Madison County Circuit Judge Dennis Ruth had been slated to hear motions in the case brought by attorney D. Jeannine Kelly against Goldenberg Heller Antognoli Rowland & Short at 9 a.m.
Kelly sued the Goldenberg firm for breach of contract, claiming it deprived her of about $1 million in fees.
She claims she worked with the Goldenberg firm until late July 2006 when she withdrew from the litigation due to a conflict with the Goldenberg firm and the necessity that she had to devote time to another matter.
Kelly claims any work she had done prior to her withdrawal should have been compensated out of any recovery made from the Hartford plaintiffs.
She alleges that through the terms of a number of settlements, the Goldenberg firm was awarded $2,666,666.50.
The firm, in its dismissal motion filed in December, noted that Kelly voluntarily withdrew from the litigation that generated the fees and that Illinois law does not make fee allowances for attorneys who bow out of contingency cases.
Kelly is represented Michael Downey.
The law firm is represented by John Papa.
The case is Madison case number 08-L-974.