Dennis A Estis

Do not be fooled by fancy offices, titles, awards, or charitable donations. In my experience, these merely created the illusion of an exceptional law firm. I believed I had found a team that would stand by me during one of the most difficult periods of my life and protect my family’s interests. Unfor...tunately, my experience could not have been further from that expectation. In December 2024, we retained Dennis Estis, head of the construction law division at Greenbaum, Rowe, Smith & Davis. A general contractor had severely damaged our family’s home, and we were seeking experienced legal guidance to protect our assets. During the initial months, communication from the firm was virtually nonexistent. Seizing on this silence, my ex-contractor filed a lien against my property as an act of intimidation. Dennis Estis was frequently unavailable until March 2025 and offered zero actionable legal advice prior to this time. Even after that, months went by with little to no action. I gave Greenbaum almost a year to investigate, but Dennis consistently failed to respond promptly to phone calls, emails, or requests for in-office meetings. At one point, I discovered he had been communicating with my adversary’s attorney—with whom I had a known conflict of interest that could have been detrimental to my case. Dennis would have known this, yet he still declined to respond to my inquiries. We originally held a significant advantage: a year-long head start. Because of the firm's inaction, my adversary seemingly concluded I wasn't actively defending my interests and filed a lawsuit against me, forcing us into a defensive counterclaim. Once litigation began, court-imposed deadlines were missed by my legal team, and I was billed for the work related to those missed deadlines. Specifically, opposing counsel filed a motion because Dennis Estis allowed a critical deadline to pass instead of filing on time or requesting an extension. A motion to compel discovery was filed against me, and I was subsequently billed for the time spent cleaning up problems caused entirely by my own attorneys’ lack of action. The breaking point came in June 2026 during a meeting rescheduled after I had rearranged my day and driven an hour each way. After arriving, I was told there was a mistake and to return two days later. When I returned, the meeting was interrupted by another scheduling conflict Dennis had forgotten about. During that meeting, key discovery responses we served months prior had gone completely unanswered—a fact Dennis was unaware of until his paralegal pointed it out. Throughout the meeting, Dennis appeared unwell, repeatedly closing his eyes for extended periods. He never apologized or acknowledged it. Overwhelmed, I broke down in tears while my home continued to deteriorate. I reached out to Chief Operating Officer Ellen G. Amon to mediate. Instead of addressing the issues, my concerns were ignored and referred right back to the same attorney. After nearly two years, my wife, 4-year-old daughter, and 6-month-old son are still displaced. We have significant legal fees and are in a worse legal position now. I have decided to retain new counsel and pursue fee arbitration. Shame on you, Greenbaum, Rowe, Smith & Davis. In my experience, this firm is nothing more than a billing machine that prioritizes billable hours over client relations. A prestigious name means nothing when a firm fails at the most basic duty of care.