Jorge Borunda

My experience with this firm was deeply disappointing and financially devastating. I am sharing it so that other families carefully review their options and ask thorough questions before entering into a legal representation agreement. What began as an inheritance dispute eventually turned into yea...rs of prolonged litigation. From my perspective, important information about strategy, costs, and potential outcomes was not always explained as clearly as I would have hoped. The discovery phase alone extended for several years and resulted in extremely high legal fees. At one point during the case, I agreed to convert my engagement from an hourly arrangement to a contingency fee structure. Looking back, I wish I had sought independent counsel before making that decision. As the case progressed, I also felt pressure to sign a settlement agreement that I later came to believe was not in my best interest. Only after the fact did I realize that the agreement included a mandatory arbitration clause. My understanding is that arbitration provisions can limit a client’s ability to have disputes heard in court before a jury, instead requiring that disputes be decided privately by an arbitrator. After the relationship ended, additional disputes arose, which have resulted in years of further litigation and very significant financial costs to my family. The process has been extremely difficult and stressful. The biggest lesson I learned from this experience is the importance of carefully reviewing every clause in an attorney engagement agreement—especially arbitration provisions and fee arrangements. In hindsight, I believe it would have been wise to have a separate, independent attorney review the contract before signing. Legal disputes are emotionally and financially draining, and clients rely heavily on their attorneys for transparency, communication, and guidance. Unfortunately, my experience did not meet those expectations. Because of what my family has gone through, I now plan to advocate for greater transparency around arbitration clauses and client rights in legal representation agreements so that other families can make more fully informed decisions. If sharing my experience encourages even one family to ask more questions and carefully review their legal agreements before signing, then writing this review will have been worthwhile.