Day: July 1, 2017

Lamb McErlane Penalized $4.3 Million — Lamb McErlane, a law firm inextricably bound to Chester County’s Republican bosses and state GOP movers and shakers, is in the news and not in a good way.

The firm is chaired by William H. Lamb, who served as interim state Supreme Court Justice in 2003. Its managing partner is Joel Frank who is general counsel for the state Republican Party, while remaining the county party’s general counsel. State Sen. John Rafferty (R-44) works for them, as does Alan P. Novak who chaired both the state and Chesco GOPs.

Chester County Common Pleas Court Judge Mark Tunnell ruled, May 2, that Lamb McErlane must return $4.3 million in excessive fees charged for work relating to the estates of Chesco millionaires Sir John Rupert Hunt Thouron and his son  John J. “Tiger” Thouron.

Lamb McErlane “repeatedly and willfully failed to comply with several of this court’s orders regarding their production of the Estates’ administrative files and requisite privilege logs,” Judge Tunnel said.

The upside is that Lamb McFarlane is not getting hit as hard as the executor Charles Norris. He is being surcharged $4,915,224

Donna Ellingsen, the Elk Township Republican who was just elected chair of Chesco GOP’s Area 19 despite tenacious opposition from the crowd connected to Lamb McErlane, notes that political participation is not about party loyalty.

“A political party is merely a means to providing honest, responsive government,” she said. “It is not as an end to itself and it is especially not a means to a well-paying  job.”

Or getting filthy rich some other way.

Judge Tunnel’s decision is well written but it’s long and will make your blood boil with anger and stomach churn with disgust. Here it is.

PH1-#5161198-v1-Thouron_-_Adjudication_(3_2017)(3)(2)

Joel Frank says Lamb McErlane is appealing Judge Tunnel’s decision to the State Superior Court. It will make your blood boil with anger and stomach churn with disgust when you realize they might prevail.

UPDATE — It has been pointed out to us that Lamb McErlane represents numerous municipalies and governmental agencies within Chester County and throughout Pennsylvania as per its website.

Wonder if its fees are also “extraordinary when evaluated under any analysis” in that arena.

Lamb McErlane Penalized $4.3 Million