Hendricks & Lewis Pllc v. George Clinton

I. FACTS

A. H&L’s Judgments Against Clinton

George Clinton is a musician, bandleader, and touring performance artist. Hendricks & Lewis (H&L) is a law firm that represented Clinton in various disputes from March 2005 to August 2008. H&L billed Clinton $3,341,650.32 for its work, received $1,000,578.87 in payment, and wrote off approximately $600,000 of the remaining balance. This left $1,779,756.29 due. H&L initiated arbitration to secure payment of the balance, and an arbitration panel issued an HENDRICKS & LEWIS PLLC V. CLINTON

award in favor of H&L. Clinton did not participate in the arbitration proceedings. H&L petitioned the Western District of Washington for an order confirming the arbitration award, and, in May 2010, the district court entered judgment for H&L against Clinton in the amount of $1,675,639.82, plus interest. The court entered a second judgment awarding H&L an additional $60,786.50 in attorneys’ fees and costs in July 2010.

B. H&L’s Judgment Collection Efforts

H&L pursued a variety of judgment collection efforts, including garnishments, levies, and liens in several districts across the country. Clinton’s attorney declared that these actions…