Hughes Socol Piers Resnick & Dym, Ltd.

Advice to law firm management: A complaint has been lodged to ARDC and ISBA about lawyers from this firm

Pros: Willing to perform legal entrapment, break the law and commit perjury on behalf of their clients.

Cons: Title: Deep concerns about ethical conduct and possible legal entrapment

Review:

I was named in a federal lawsuit filed by this law firm on behalf of Grumpy Cat Ltd., claiming trademark infringement based on a design I uploaded to Redbubble. The image — a stylised, cartoon-like pattern I obtained from a licensed design platform — was titled ...Grumpy Cat Pattern.' It was never marketed as affiliated with the Grumpy Cat brand, nor did it resemble the company*s trademarked image in any significant way.

Here*s the troubling part: the design was online for years and had only one sale, which occurred immediately before the lawsuit was filed. This sale triggered the inclusion of my shop in a mass default action, leading to serious questions about whether the purchase was intentionally staged by or for the Plaintiff to create grounds for litigation — a classic sign of legal entrapment.

Despite being based overseas, I was never properly served or made aware of the lawsuit. My first communication from the attorneys came months after the case had already progressed in court, leaving me without a chance to defend myself. Emails I sent requesting clarification were ignored until I filed a formal response in court.

Even more troubling, funds were removed from my PayPal account without prior notice, and shortly after that, the attorneys contacted me to propose a ...settlement,' without disclosing the legal status of the case or any previous enforcement action already taken.

This approach — involving mass filings, lack of transparency, ignored communication, premature fund seizures, and vague settlement offers — raises very serious ethical and procedural concerns. I have submitted a formal complaint to the Attorney Registration & Disciplinary Commission and believe this firm*s practices should be reviewed by legal and consumer watchdogs.

If you're a small business owner, creator, or international seller, be cautious. What happened to me could happen to anyone.

Partners to Avoid and Why: William B. Kalbac – wkalbac@hsplegal.com
John Wilson – jwilson@hsplegal.com

Current or former employee?: Current Employee

Job type: Freelance

Pros: 4.0 Former EmployeePartner practicing in Corporate, Commercial, Real Estate, Employment, Construction, and Asset Management law ProsInteresting legal issues, congenial atmosphere, ok work life balanceConsSalaries, at least when I was there, a little under those paid by comparable firmsAdvice to ManagementLoosen up a little

Current or former employee?: Former Employee

Last Year at Employer: 2019

Job type: Full time

Pros: 5.0 Current Employee, more than 3 yearsGreat place, nice peopleMay 12, 2022 - Paralegal in Chicago, IL ProsNice people to work with, the workload is very manageableConsThe culture is a bit dry and there are not a lot of social events to meet other employees outside of your department

Current or former employee?: Former Employee

Last Year at Employer: 2022

Job type: Full time