On May 28, 2025, a Second Appellate District panel upheld a Los Angeles Superior Court ruling in favor of Larson client Bird Marella, a well-respected trial boutique. Trial court Judge Theresa M. Traber originally granted terminating sanctions in Bird Marella’s favor, ending a fraud dispute brought by the law firm’s former client, Frontline Medical Associates.
Frontline Medical Associates sued Bird Marella and one of its attorneys, Benjamin Gluck, in 2019, alleging that the trial firm failed to clarify potential conflicts related to simultaneously representing an associate of the medical company. Finding a wide variety of misconduct by Frontline Medical and its attorneys, the Los Angeles court dismissed the lawsuit, granting terminating sanctions in 2023 and awarding costs of over $250,000.
In upholding the terminating sanctions, the appellate court cited Frontline’s misleading characterization of its own attorney’s conflict of interest and withdrawal, misrepresentation of the company’s ownership, and whether the owner was available or able to travel from Lebanon to testify in the case. “Given that misconduct,” the appellate court wrote “it did not exceed the bounds of reason for the court to terminate this action.”
The Larson team representing Bird Marella and Mr. Gluck included partners Hilary Potashner and John Lee. “The suit was without merit and we’re grateful to Hilary Potashner and John Lee of the Larson firm for bringing it to a close,” Mr. Gluck said in a statement to legal news service Law360. It took a long time but we’re pleased with the outcome.”
The full article describing the appellate court’s decision is available on Law360’s website: Bird Marella’s Sanctions Win Upheld In $2.25M Fraud Dispute.
