Geoffrey Charles Gardner

Geoffrey Gardner, an attorney with Jorgenson, Brownell and Pepin, was assigned to my real estate litigation in early 2019, where I had to defend against baseless claims from a builder. Gardner failed to prepare us for a rather hastened mediation in March 2019. We had not concluded discovery and had ...not obtained the deposition of the plaintiff. Gardner attended the mediation but failed to follow up with our concerns on release language needed to finalize settlement. Instead, Gardner concealed the mediator's follow-up email from us, which prevented us from learning of the mediator's proposed terms. Gardner went silent and only responded to our inquiries 24 days later, and then informed us that we must sign a final settlement agreement (drafted by the opposing parties) or be compelled by the opposing parties to do so. We refused to sign without agreeable release language. Unknown to us, Gardner had informed the opposing parties that we had agreed to their terms and would sign the draft settlement. Gardner concealed these crucial documents from his clients. The opposing counsel motioned the Court to enforce the alleged settlement, and Gardner testified that we had agreed to the settlement in an evidentiary hearing. Gardner's misrepresentation of the mediation and woeful disregard for the Rules of Professional Conduct resulted in the Trial Court's superfluous decision to enforce this alleged settlement. Once Gardner and JBP were removed as counsel, we appealed and the decision was reversed and remanded - as the Appellate Court confirmed that there was no enforceable settlement. However, the cost to appeal and conclude the case was over $200,000. Here, I experienced an attorney and a firm that are grossly negligent and failed to provide a fiduciary duty to their client. For more information, refer to the 8th District Court's case: 2021CV30214. I would certainly not recommend Gardner, Athey or Jorgenson, Brownell and Pepin to represent anyone with a civil litigation matter.