Judge Patrick Schiltz recently commended Faegre & Benson lawyers Eleasalo Ale and Peter Hennigan for "their extraordinarily thorough and careful work" on behalf of a pro bono client. The case involves an elderly woman who was the victim of a fraudulent equity scheme.
Ale and Hennigan have put hundreds of hours into this case over two years at no cost to the plaintiff. Attorneys James Poradek and Jeyamalar Paul and paralegal Nancy DiPasquale—along with former firm associate Liz Cowan Wright—have also contributed significant time to this matter.
Although Schiltz granted the woman summary judgment on her claims of unjust enrichment and conversion, she has not regained possession of her home and may face difficulty collecting any judgment since the defendants have few assets.
The legal team plans to pursue reimbursement for the client through a real estate recovery fund. Read more…
Reprinted with the permission of Minnesota Lawyer, December 2008.