| ► Attorney Daniel Klos of Columbus, OH; degenerate thief |
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Attorney Daniel Klos of Columbus, OH; degenerate thief
The state of Ohio presented Daniel Henry Klos with a law license in 1984 after he graduated from Capitol University Law School.
The Columbus Bar Association Grievance Committee found Daniel guilty of charging a clearly excessive and/or illegal fee as set forth below.
In one matter, Daniel represented Lilly Clay in a wrongful discharge matter against her former employer. Daniel charged Lilly $500 for an investigation letter and then, when the letter didn’t resolve the matter, he and Lilly entered into a fee agreement that provided for a retainer of $4,000 and/or $150 an hour with credit for the $500 already paid and/or 33% of any settlement or judgment obtained for Lilly.
Subsequently, Lilly’s claim settled for $15,000. Daniel deducted $4,956.66 as fees in addition to the $2,710 retainer Lilly had already paid. Lilly claimed that under the fee agreement she only owed fees of $5,000 (33% of the $15,000 settlement). Daniel admitted that he only spent 34 hours on Lilly’s case. Therefore, at $7,710, his effective hourly rate was $227. In truth, Danny’s fee came out to 51.4% of the $15,000 settlement, which is a tad higher than 33%.
Eventually Daniel offered to reduce his fee by $1,000 or 44% of the $15,000 settlement amount. When Lilly rejected this absurd offer, Daniel offered to submit the matter to the Columbus Bar Association Fee Arbitration Program, Lilly then filed a grievance against Daniel.
In another matter, Jack Lauer hired Daniel to represent him in a wrongful termination case. Daniel charged Jack a fee of $375 for an investigation letter. The $375 was credited to a $3,000 retainer paid by Jack. Daniel had the chutzpah to claim that Jack agreed to pay 33% of any recovery plus the $3,000 retainer.
Subsequently, Jack’s claim was settled for $4,500. Daniel claimed his fees were $3,500, which represented the $3,000 retainer plush 1/3rd of the $4,500 ($1,500). In truth, Daniels fee claim amounted to 77.7% of Jack’s $4,500 settlement. When Jack bitterly complained about this exorbitant fee, Daniel had the chutzpah to claim he had spent 67 hours on the matter. Danny then offered to reduce his fee by $950 or $2,550. The $2,550 amounted to 56.6% of the Jack’s $4,500 settlement.
As a consequence of his misconduct, the cheerleaders for Attorney Misfits sitting on the Ohio Supreme Court punished Daniel by gifting him with a complimentary reprimand.
As we speak (ca. February 2013) Daniel practices at 4591 Indianola Avenue in Columbus, Ohio.
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