For your list.
Posted on 01/05/2008 4:15:04 PM PST by Paleo Conservative
An insurance company has sued indicted law firm operator Mauricio Celis, saying it shouldn't have to pay legal bills for him and his firm.
Evanston Insurance Company says Celis lied on an application for professional liability insurance by claiming he was a licensed attorney in Mexico and it should not have to pay lawyers to defend him in four civil suits filed against his firm, CGT Law Group International.
Celis, 36, was indicted in November on charges of impersonating a police officer and an attorney and on charges of perjury. The Nueces County District Attorney's office says Celis lied when he claimed he obtained a law degree from a Mexican university.
Celis has pleaded not guilty to the criminal charges. He has not filed a response to the Evanston lawsuit. Attempts to reach him and his attorneys Thursday were unsuccessful.
The Evanston suit was filed in federal court in Washington, D.C., where CGT was registered in 2005 to take advantage of local rules that allow foreign lawyers to partner with lawyers licensed in the United States.
The other civil suits against Celis also claim he is not an attorney and that other lawyers should not have shared legal fees with him.
Lawyers, and most other professionals, commonly purchase professional liability insurance policies in case they make a mistake and are sued by clients. In its filing, Evanston said it would not have issued an insurance policy if Celis had acknowledged he was not licensed in Mexico.
The Evanston lawsuit also shed light on CGT's practice. According to the firm's application for insurance, the firm expected to make about $3 million in gross revenue in 2006 and expected to handle personal injury, automotive defect and commercial trucking accident cases. The firm also expected to accept 10 to 20 referrals from other lawyers, while referring 40 to 70 cases to other law firms in a year.
In an application to renew the policy, the firm said it made about $500,000 in gross revenue in 2006, and expected to make $5 million in 2007.
Celis loaned the firm more than $3.4 million and has received $825,000 in principal payments but no interest, according to an affidavit from the firm's accountant.
In addition to criminal charges, Celis faces civil suits from two state agencies. The state Unauthorized Practice of Law Committee sued Celis Nov. 29 in Nueces County. The Attorney General's Office also sued Celis and CGT on Oct. 24 in Travis County, seeking to shut down the firm. Three members of Celis' firm counter-sued the Unauthorized Practice of Law Committee, claiming it interfered with client settlements during its investigation.
Mauricio Celis and his law firm
A number of civil lawsuits have been filed before and since local businessman Mauricio Celis came under criminal investigation in September.
Felony criminal charges in Nueces County
- falsely holding oneself out as a lawyer
- aggravated perjury
- impersonating a public servant
- theft
Civil lawsuits
- State v. CGT Law Group International and Mauricio Celis (Travis County)
State says Celis falsely held himself out to be lawyer and CGT illegally accepted attorneys fees and shared with Celis.
- Gonzalez & Associates et al v. Chris Pinedo, Mauricio Celis, CGT and Owen and Associates (Zapata County)
An attorney fee dispute in which CGT claims that the firm is owed $1 million from a settlement Gonzalez & Associates negotiated in a 2004 house fire lawsuit.
- Paloma Steele v. Mauricio Celis, Chris Pinedo, Doug Gwyther, Raul Tapia (Kleberg County, reassigned from Nueces County)
Steele says Celis represented her as an attorney. She hired CGT in January 2007, and the firm negotiated a settlement in her case.
- Christopher Pinedo, James Hada and Douglas Gwyther v. Unlicensed Practice of Law Committee and Mark Ticer (Travis County)
Three CGT attorneys say the state Unlicensed Practice of Law Committee interfered with a client's settlement during the investigation of CGT. The lawyers are asking for a declaratory judgment saying they haven't done anything illegal.
- Frost National Bank v. Mauricio Celis (Nueces County)
Frost seeks to recover $380,000 loaned in June 2005, plus $6,600 in interest.
- Unauthorized Practice of Law Committee v Mauricio Celis, CGT Law Group International, Chris Pinedo, James Hada, Doug Gwyther, Thomas Guajardo and Vance Owen (Nueces County)
The committee alleges Celis illegally practiced law, and other lawyers illegally accepted fees.
- Evanston Insurance Company v. CGT Law Group International, Mauricio Celis, Chris Pinedo, James Hada, Doug Gwyther, Thomas Guajardo, Raul Tapia
Source: court documents
Celis in addtion to impersonating a lawyer and a law enforcement office was one of the 100 largest contributors to state election races in Texas in 2006 and is a big fund raise for Hillary Rodham Clinton in south Texas.
For your list.
Another corrupt criminal supporting the leader of the Clinton crime family....not a surprise. But thanks for this info.
Celis Donates to Fire Victim's Family>Updated: Dec 24, 2007 03:15 AM
Embattled businessman Mauricio Celis donated $2,000 to the family of Mexican national Pasqual Vasquez, killed in a house fire earlier this week.
Firefighters found the victim's body in the bedroom of a small wooden house he rented in the 1000 block of Verbena.
The victim's family said Vasquez will be buried in Mexico.
Celis wanted to help pay for his services because, he said, he understands what it's like to go through troubled times.
"I'm going through a tough situation also," Celis said. "You can always look at what other people are going through is worse than what you're going through. You try and thank God because what you're going through is nothing compared to what other families are going through.
"I think it's important for us to come together."
Celis was indicted last month for posing as a lawyer and a Duval County deputy.
Celis ping!
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