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May 20, 2026

Beverly Hills plaintiffs' firm accused of withholding dying partner's fees

The estate of attorney John P. Kristensen has sued Beverly Hills plaintiffs' firm Carpenter & Zuckerman LLP, alleging the firm withheld more than $630,000 in earned contingency fees during the final months of Kristensen's battle with cancer and attempted to use the money as leverage in an unrelated dispute.

Beverly Hills plaintiffs' firm accused of withholding dying partner's fees
Kristensen

A Beverly Hills plaintiffs' firm is facing an eight-count complaint alleging it withheld more than $630,000 in earned fees from a dying partner and used the money as leverage in an unrelated malpractice dispute.

Tenley Hardin, special administrator of the estate of John P. Kristensen, sued Carpenter & Zuckerman LLP on May 4 in Los Angeles County Superior Court, alleging conversion, breach of fiduciary duty, breach of contract and violations of Rule 1.15 of the California R...

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