Second Lousy Lawyer: Sam & Ash Law

Our second lousy law firm (we're batting 0 for 2) my wife retained after firing Paul Powell. Neither firm corrected the original erroneous police report, which we learned the hard way. We obtained the case files and went through them. Finding nothing relating to a corrected police report, we went to their office (first visit). We met one partner, Ashley Watkins. She insisted they knew nothing about correcting this bad police report, absolutely not true. I personally discussed this with Daniel McAdorey, a lawyer during the initial interview, he assured me they would get it right.

Any good law firm prepares every case as if it is going to trial, a bad police report is not in our favor, it takes time to correct. Every lawyer knows this. Both firms told us this was taken care of, NOT! We went to trade in this vehicle the last week of 2022 and was shocked to find out CARFAX used the bad police report on our vehicle. We contacted CARFAX and was told we needed a corrected police report before they would change their vehicle report. That is when we met Ashley Watkins in January 2023 at her office. She agreed to get the matter corrected.

At this meeting she pointed out a more serious problem, she told us Paul Powell had committed fraud against us when he backdated the Legal Notices required by the Supreme Court. She told us about the Nevada Rules of Professional Conduct, we never heard of this before. She told me where to find it online and suggested the State Bar might be interested in looking into this. It was after this meeting that I read these rules, I was in shock, this led to filing my complaint against Paul Powell.

Unfortunately, for Sam & Ash, reading the Rules led us to finding violations from Ashley's actions as well. This led us to filing against her. We didn't know there were rules regarding what lawyers could charge in their local areas. We learned the fees charged for expenses had to be reasonable. We learned lawyers had to be competent in representing their clients. A goldmine of information for the public.

Were you a client of Sam & Ash? Did they charge you 40% after 60 days? Did they charge you a flat fee of $400 for expenses? If so, you really should read the Nevada Rules of Professional Conduct. Easy look-up online. Check out the rules on fees, NRPC 1.5; NRPC 1.5.(3) and NRPC 1.5.(e). You don't have to be a lawyer to see what's going on here. With our phone service today we have unlimited calling, text and data. It is outright theft for any attorney to charge a flat fee for expenses, how can they possibly say it is reasonable? Retainer states, "with no itemized accounting", a dead giveaway.

The contingency fee for our local area is 33 1/3%, and only advances to 40% if and when the case moves into the court stage. Sam & Ash had to know increasing their fees to 40% after 60 days violated the NRPC. The State Bar should have seen this in reading the complaint right away. Greed rules the day. Is it even possible to collect all the paperwork in 60 days?

The State Bar shares some responsibility for any clients over-charged by this firm since this information was presented to them. The State Bar could have and should have stopped this practice immediately, they did nothing. Sam & Ash should have to reimburse every client it over-charged, with interest and penalties. We need to stand up and demand action by the State Bar.

The NRPC calls for an attorney to be "COMPETENT", and I think we can all agree how important that is, no question. I also believe, a competent attorney would have no reason to ever lie to their client. Do you think a competent attorney would ever be so stupid as to put this lie in writing? Is it too much to expect the State Bar Counsel and Assistant Bar Counsel to see this as a problem, they reviewed the documents submitted with this case? Clear violation of the NRPC!

NOTE: Before hiring any lawyer, ask for the Lawyer's Biographical Data Form. Operative word -shall- means they have to provide this form at your request. Like Ashley Watkins in this case, she refused to provide this information, why? If she has nothing to hide, provide the form! Simple. What is she hiding?

On February 28, 2023, my wife sent Sam & Ash an email requesting a copy of the Lawyer's Biographical Data Form for Ashley Watkins and Daniel McAdorey. We received an email from Ashley on March 1, 2023 stating, "please know my team is coordinating with the officer for the supplemental report that we will then take to CARFAX." With her team in contact with the Sheriff's Department and CARFAX regarding my wife's accident, don't you agree this proves the lawyer is representing a client?

We never mentioned anything about a lawyer when writing to CARFAX, Sam & Ash told them they were representing us and directed CARFAX to send the corrected CARFAX report directly to their office. On March 6, 2023, CARFAX sent this report to Sam & Ash, Ashley later sent us a copy.

On March 7, 2023, Ashley sent me an email which stated, "I do not have to provide you with a Lawyer's Biographical Data Form. Rule 1.4(c) states the form is to be provided when requested by the State Bar, or a client or a prospective client." She further said, "Neither you nor your wife qualify under the plain language of the Rule."

This from a lawyer who took $25,000 of a $65,000 settlement, my wife received $21,640. And she claims Sam & Ash did not take more than my wife received. Figures don't lie, but liars sure can figure. Going rate for the same service would be $21,667. And she has the nerve to talk about the plain language of the Rules! If she read the rules, understood the rules and followed the rules we wouldn't be here now.

How competent can a lawyer be when she doesn't know what representing a client means? Her ego got the best of her, and her partner was no help, she ran wild with false accusations. She accused me of attempted extortion on Google. Not once, but twice. I never asked her for a nickel.

After filing our complaint, we got this letter from the State Bar. My first thought was this guy has to be a newbie, and has never read the Rules, wrong. Phillip Pattee has been a member of this State Bar since February 1991, unbelievable, makes no sense at all. Thinking Phillip Pattee must have our complaint mixed up with someone else, I submitted a Request for Reconsideration to the Disciplinary Board. I was shocked when I received this reply from Daniel Hooge, Bar Counsel.

Rule 8.3. Reporting Professional Misconduct.
Rule 8.4. Misconduct.
Rule 8.5. Jurisdiction.