An alert to the clients of Hiscock & Barclay LLP of Albany, NY and of Harlem & Jervis of Oneonta, NY

I am in receipt of documentary evidence (billing statements) from two law firms, Hiscock & Barclay LLP of Albany, NY and from Harlem & Jervis of Oneonta, New York, which conclusively indicate that the law firms continued to bill their clients at the time when one of the parties in the action died and jurisdiction of the court "abated" (stopped, stayed), and continued to so bill before jurisdiction restored through substitution of legal representative of a deceased part, CPLR 1015.  

The period of abatement of jurisdiction during which both law firms continued to bill their clients continued from September 2012 to May 2013, for 8 months.

Improper billing of clients during abatement of jurisdiction of the court, to me, is a matter of serious public concern which I consider my duty to disclose to the public.

These two law firms have protected status in courts because they are owned and employ relatives of the judiciary and are in business relations with New York State Senators - NYS State Senator Neil Breslin is "of counsel" in Hiscock & Barclays, M. Cornelia Cahill, spouse of the New York State Chief Judge of the Court of Claims Richard Sise is a member (co-owner) of Hiscock & Barclays, LLP; 
Harlem & Jervis was founded by the now deceased former judge Robert Harlm, former Chief Administrative Judge of the 6th Judicial District and by his son Richard Harlem,  Richard Harlem is a long-time landlord to NYS Senator' James Seward's district office in Oneonta, NY.

It is my personal experience that New York civil courts have been consistently changing and subverting court rules, statutes, common law principles and even application of constitutional law in order to grant relief and attorney's fees to these powerful and politically connected law firms, no matter what kind of misconduct the law firms engaged in.

I do not expect civil courts to suddenly change their course and start holding these law firms to the rule of law.  It did not happen before, I doubt that it is going to happen any time soon. 

Since courts seem to be asleep at the wheel and there is no expectation that the courts will ever hold these law firms accountable, I consider it my duty to directly inform the public of these improper billing practices that the public may fall victim to. 

Moreover, Hiscock & Barclays LLP was hired in the case I am talking about by an insurance company.  Thus, any improper billings by Hiscock & Barclays LLP to the insurance company at the time jurisdiction of the court abated and no billing was allowed, should be investigated by the Insurance Fraud Bureau of the NYS Attorney General's office, which is exactly what I am asking the Attorney General to do.

I am turning these two law firm into the appropriate authorities to investigate propriety of the practices described herein.

Stay tuned as to what the authorities have to say about this and if these powerful law firms will even be investigated or prosecuted for their billing practices.