Oglesby & Oglesby clients left waiting

SANDUSKY — The Oglesby & Oglesby law firm is working to get the word out to clients about the death of Geoff Oglesby in February, his sister and business partner told the Register on Monday.Lurlia Oglesby said her brother had many open cases when he died and the office is diligently trying to resolve them with the assistance of other counsel."It is a daunting task and will not happen overnight. I have shared this information with as many clients as possible and with the Erie County Bar Association," Lurlia Oglesby wrote to the Register in response to an inquiry sent to her on Monday.The Register contacted Lurlia Oglesby after receiving several calls from clients complaining about the law firm's office manager, Greg Lockhart. One woman said she repeatedly contacted the firm earlier in April seeking to obtain her husband's court case records. Laura Jones said she visited the office several times before finally getting the file. "He told me, 'You owe us money,'" Laura Jones told the Register, referring to Lockhart. "He tried to give me every excuse not to give me the transcripts."After returning to the law office at Washington and Fulton streets several times, Lockhart did finally give her the file after making her wait for hours, she said.Another woman said she went to the law office on Monday and Lockhart demanded she sign a promissory note saying she owed the law firm more than $8,000. He would not give her the transcripts and other records unless she signed the document, she said."I don't owe them any money," Tammy Jackson told the Register. "I paid them nearly $7,000 and they never sent me another bill."Lurlia Oglesby declined to comment about whether Lockhart demanded payment before releasing the records Jackson was requesting, citing attorney-client privilege."Client confidentiality prohibits me from sharing any information with you regarding any client absent an express waiver from the client," Lurlia Oglesby wrote. "That prohibition extends to office administration and staff as well, i.e. Mr. Lockhart."As of Tuesday, Jackson still did not receive the court transcripts and other records of her son's case from the Oglesby law firm.The firm is following the guidelines and requirements for clients her brother represented, Lurlia Oglesby said."Anything that involves a client's case management, including continued representation, fee agreements, possible refunds, invoices due or the free return of a client's file, this office is doing in accordance with the Rules of Professional Conduct and Responsibilities," Lurlia Oglesby wrote.The rules are specific, however, and don't seem to match up with the experience Jones and Jackson had in getting records from Oglesby & Oglesby. "A lawyer shall take steps, to the extent reasonably practicable, to protect a client's interest," the rules state, in part. "The steps include giving due notice to the client, allowing a reasonable time for employment of other counsel, delivering to the client all papers and property to which the client is entitled, and complying with applicable laws and rules.""Client papers and property shall be promptly delivered to the client (including) correspondence, pleadings, depositions transcripts, exhibits, physical evidence, expert reports and other items reasonably necessary to the clients representation," the rules state.The records are the property of the client without regard to any disagreement about fees paid or fees owed, according to two attorneys who spoke with the Register. Jackson said Oglesby's office did not deliver any finished product to her family, previously, and it's now withholding DVD recordings and other records that are key to her son's case. She said she intends to file a grievance with the Ohio Supreme Court's disciplinary committee. Lurlia Oglesby did not respond when asked if she was aware of the complaints that records were being withheld, or whether she authorized Lockhart to ask for payments before releasing records. She also declined to say whether the firm would continue operating and whether she or any other attorneys are practicing under the Oglesby & Oglesby banner. Lockhart also did not provide a responsive reply to a written inquiry about his interactions with Jones and Jackson. Oglesby & Oglesby law firm at 618 W. Washington St. in Sandusky on Thursday, May 2, 2019.