TIME OUT: Lawyer Who Once Brought RICO Claim Against J.E. Shelton Suspended From the Practice of Law For Two Years

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The practice of law is a tough gig. Its not for everyone.

Litigators, in particular, live under constant deadlines. We never really get a vacation. Even on holidays my availability to attend family occasions turns exclusively on whether I have met my various commitments to clients and courts.

If not, then there’s an empty seat at the dinner table.

That’s the life I chose when I went to law school– whether I knew it or not.

Not everyone has that mindset, however. And not everyone succeeds in this game as a result.

And while litigating in any substantive area can be challenging, practicing in the telecommunications sector–particularly TCPA class litigation–where virtually all of your cases are in the harsh spotlight of the unforgiving federal court system, can be extremely daunting.

So I kind of feel bad for Joshua Louis Thomas. Now suspended for two long years after failing to get it done in a string of cases.

Thomas’ connection to TCPAWorld is largely–although not exclusively–tied to that time he famously brought suit against James E. Shelton in a RICO case. It did not go well. Perhaps the case lacked merit to begin with, but Thomas just couldn’t seem to meet deadlines in the case. And judgment was eventually entered against his client.

That was–apparently–just one of a number of unfortunate miscues Mr. Thomas (or his clients) endured during his stint as a litigator in this space. Deadlines blown. Sanctions orders entered. Reprimands issued. All the bad stuff.

So as of October 1, 2021 the guy finds himself suspended from the practice of law for two years.

That’s got to feel like losing a limb. It would for me anyway.

But like I said, this is a tough gig. And its not for everyone.

Still, I’m rooting for the guy. Hope he turns it around. Its in my nature to want to see people succeed. Well, except for this guy. 

Read all about the suspension here:

 

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Published by Eric J. Troutman

The Czar of TCPAWorld Eric Troutman is one of the country’s prominent class action defense lawyers and is nationally recognized in Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) litigation and compliance. He has served as lead defense counsel in more than 70 national TCPA class actions and has litigated nearly a thousand individual TCPA cases in his role as national strategic litigation counsel for major banks and finance companies. He also helps industry participants build TCPA-compliant processes, policies, and systems. Eric has built a national litigation practice based upon deep experience, rigorous analysis and extraordinary responsiveness. Eric and his team feel equally at home litigating multibillion dollar telecommunications class actions in federal court as they do developing and executing national litigation strategies for institutions facing an onslaught of individual TCPA matters. They thrive in each of these roles – delivering consistently excellent results – while never losing sight of the client experience. While many firms now tout TCPA expertise, Eric has been there from the beginning. He built one of the country’s first TCPA-only defense teams and began serving as national TCPA counsel for his clients nearly a decade ago. This perspective allows him to swiftly develop the right litigation strategies for dealing with recurring problems, without wasting time on tactics that are bound to fail. Eric’s rich historical perspective and encyclopedic knowledge of the TCPA landscape also make him an invaluable resource to institutional compliance teams struggling to comply with the shifting regulatory landscape. No task is too small – or too big. Indeed, Eric and his team have helped build TCPA-compliant systems and processes for some of the largest and most complex corporate entities in the country. He commonly works with in-house compliance counsel to build and implement enterprise and business-line specific TCPA solutions, performs TCPA audits and drafts and reviews proposed TCPA policies and procedures. He and his team also have the technical expertise necessary to assist call centers seeking to develop TCPA-resistant call path architecture or to modify existing telephony and software integration to better insulate from potential TCPA exposure. Eric has built a reputation for thought leadership. An avid blogger and speaker, he has been at the forefront of the industry’s effort to push for clarity and a return to sanity for the TCPA for years. He was selected to advocate for the financial services industry on important TCPA issues before the Federal Communications Commission and co-authored the nation’s only comprehensive practice guide on TCPA defense. In his spare time, Eric leads defense teams representing banks and other financial services companies in consumer finance litigation matters. He has experience representing clients in UCC, TILA, RESPA FCRA, CCRA, CLRA, FDCPA, RFDCPA and FCCPA claims, as well as in fraud and bank operations issues.

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