Employment Law Victories

Accounting Employee Vindicated of Embezzlement Before Trial

A mid-level accounting manager was sued in the Los Angeles Superior Court for helping a convicted felon embezzle millions of dollars. To make matters worse, this single mother was added to the lawsuit only a few months before trial. All this happened after the woman had voluntarily cooperated with prosecutors in criminal proceedings against the real thief without "lawyering up" -- and without ever being charged criminally.

The manager hired Los Angeles / Santa Monica business litigator Jeffrey Cowan and The Cowan Law Firm to defend her. After being convinced of our client's innocence, we immediately offered to let the plaintiff's lawyer interview our client so that he might be persuaded that she had done nothing wrong. When that offer was declined, we served comprehensive discovery, filed a motion (a demurrer) challenging the legal sufficiency of the claims alleged against our client, and moved to have the trial continued. The judge granted both of our motions.

Shortly thereafter, the plaintiff agreed to settle with our client for four-figure nuisance money. After we filed a motion asking the judge to approve the settlement as being in good faith (a finding necessary to protect our client’s rights), the plaintiff voluntarily dismissed our client and said that he would not require her to pay a penny of the agreed upon settlement.