Where to begin, wow! After seeking-out a Dayton Probate lawyer and failing (so many had conflicts due to the large family business, all of their numerous divorces, other law suits and personal connections in Dayton) I hired (in desperation) an incompetent Cincinnati shyster, who misrepresented himself to me, to the tune of about $29k in billable hours. The Cinci lawyer-litigator wanna-be, did very little on my behalf other than bill me monthly (over almost 2 yrs time - no subpoenas, no depositions, no substitution of Trustee as promised, absolutely nothing to STOP THE BLEEDING! Nadda.) But alas, when Cinci shyster told me to get on a plane 2 days before Xmas for a $7000 mediation appt, (to further line his pockets) with virtually NO notice (a date he'd been aware of for months) I finally had the sense to fire him. How can you mediate, when assets remain unknown? Then I found Dave Brannon. My stars must have aligned in that moment. I desperately needed someone to parachute-in, and take drastic measures @the 11th hour, since the trial date was fast-approaching. I warned Mr Brannon, he would need sophisticated protective gear, when dealing w/ the infestation. Dealing w/ the two Co-Trustees (my dishonest, greedy half-brothers in Dayton) was not fun. My Dad had named me next in line, should they have failed. (and they DID fail. Miserably, but I'd initially hired the WRONG lawyer to protect my interests - to straightjacket them!) Cheating, stealing, withholding assets & info, blatant disregard for the Statues of OH, lying under oath (felony) and tax fraud - all of those became their middle name. We 3 adult children of the deceased, were the ONLY heirs. It could have all been so easy/seamless, if not for their G R E E D and being drunk w/ power. The evil-doers' firm was large and like a gam / frenzy of sharks, circling. I'll never be privy to exactly how much the soulless (opposing) firm took from my Dad's estate. Suffice it to say, in excess of $150k - with the two dishonest, self-dealing Trustees snacking on at least $60k in Trustee/Executor fees alone. However, the lion's share of the paperwork, had been done by a part-time paralegal at the Shark Firm. (she made errors) Mr Brannon was highly professional and never forgot to put his client's (my) best interest, at the fore. He was hip to all attempts at their game-playing. Dave is ethical, smart, efficient and I came to admire him. I fondly referred to him as "Obi Wan Kenobi." Help me, Obi Wan Kenobi! He was honest & trustworthy. I can't reiterate that enough. I only wish a shred of his "ethics" had existed in my half-brothers as well as their "Wall" of $500 per hr lawyers. Brannon = ethics. He got the job done. I will never forget him. Was justice served? Not entirely. But I'll take it. And it was only due to Brannon's hard work / highly focused tenacity.
I'm a disabled, senior in Calif, so logistics at such distance were challenging. I desperately needed someone I could trust, to be in my little corner, against the tentacles of the big, inky octopus. Dave Brannon turned out to be that guy. He's pleasant, respectful, yet accurately painted me the picture of what was truly going-on. We reached a settlement, but it wasn't easy. And the other Firm threatened me w/ a cease and desist order, for merely emailing my half-brother, after 3.5 years of ZERO contact between me and the half-brothers/Trustees! That's how desperate they became toward the end. Another threat, was their atty, scheduling a one-on-one private meeting w/ the Judge. (never happened) It become a REAL spectacle (piranha-fest) toward the end. Further, they tried their best to pick & choose softer language in the public view settlement. (obscure their clients' guilt & wrong-doing) Didn't work, thanks to Brannon. He remaining ethical, stayed strong / smart. The truth is: They HAD done wrong. Knowingly. I'm fully confident Mr Brannon did as much as anyone could've possibly done. Forever grateful to him.
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