Disappointing Experience with Austin Campbell @ Rob Wiley, P.C. Law Firm.
I recently had the unfortunate experience of engaging with the Rob Wiley P.C. Law Firm in pursuit of resolving a discrimination and retaliation case against a government entity from which I was wrongfully terminated. Regrettably, my encounter with the firm left much to be desired, prompting me to sha...re my opinions and personal experiences here. Despite an initial investment of a $7,000 retainer for efforts to obtain private mediation with Respondent, my interactions with the firm (over a 5 month-ish period) were marked by minimal engagement and a lack of communication.
I initially presented my case to their partner attorney, Deontae Wherry. He was engaged and I could sense empathy in the dialogue I had with him. Unfortunately, after signing the contract, the handling of my case by Austin Campbell, to whom I was predominantly delegated, raised significant concerns about the firm's commitment to prioritizing and understanding the complexities of my situation.
Communication breakdowns were evident at the beginning of the case interview process. I spoke for about 90 minutes with Austin to provide my case timeline and answer his questions. Unfortunately, I never felt I was being heard. Attempts to share my perspective were repeatedly cut off in order to fill out what I believed was a form template (very junior). I raised these communications concerns with Deontae & a meeting was called. The firm verbally addressed my concerns, but the promises made during a group meeting with the partner attorney yielded no tangible improvements. I was relegated to the back seat while the process was supposed to be moving forward.
At the conclusion of my engagement with the firm, I reviewed Austin's activity statement. It appeared to me that logical actions, such as a reach-out phone call to Respondent’s attorney's office, and communication with the EEOC was also minimal. When the Respondent provided a position statement, I was only briefed on high-level positions the Respondent took, without seeing the actual pretext response document.
The revelation of false statements and omitted key facts in the Respondent's position statement, obtained through a FOIA request after the firm terminated my contract, was deeply troubling. Had I been informed of the entirety of the Respondent's position, I could have provided crucial documents & complete evidence for consideration, potentially altering the course of my case. The construction of a weak lawsuit covering only 2/3 of my charges, coupled with the lack of proactive communication, underscored the firm's apparent disregard for the complexity of my case. It seems that, in their pursuit of lucrative cases, the firm neglects those with less monetary potential.
The frustration stemming from irregular updates, inconvenient timing of calls, and the necessity to navigate a call center to reach Austin right after he called me, reflects a systemic issue in client prioritization. It appears that the firm is content with collecting retainers and undertaking minimal efforts, particularly for cases deemed of low priority.
Overall, my personal experience with Austin and the Rob Wiley P.C. Law Firm has left me thoroughly disappointed. This opinion of disappointment is rooted in what I perceived to be a lack of effort, unwillingness to comprehend the intricacies of my case, and the absence of value for the retainer fee lead me to advise against choosing this firm. Furthermore, I don't feel Austin fully explored all legal avenues & challenged the Respondent as much as a lawyer would have if they had the best interests of their clients in mind. Clients like us are looking for that voice to be heard and represented. The cases matter to us.
Save your money and seek legal representation elsewhere.