Carson CJ, LLC v Automotive Retail Solutions Los Angeles County Superior Court Case Number 17STLC03344.
From the Los Angeles court online case records it is Lawzilla's understanding the following occurred:
Attorney Kent VanDerSchuit and his law firm the VanDerSchuit Law Group is the attorney for the defendant in a breach of contract lawsuit.
During the lawsuit the plaintiff noticed the deposition of VanDerSchuit's client.
However, defendant did not appear.
The court's order says attorney Kent VanDerSchuit did not inform plaintiff's counsel that there would be no appearance.
Afterwards plaintiff's counsel reached out about what happened and taking the deposition.
The judge said VanDerSchuit's law firm did not cooperate to reschedule the deposition.
Plaintiff filed a motion to compel and sought sanctions.
The court order reflects Kent VanDerSchuit, Esq. did not oppose the motion.
The judge in a tentative ruling then said $2341.56 in sanctions were appropriate against defendant and its attorney VanDerSchuit.
At the hearing on the motion the judge confirmed the sanctions award of $2341.56.
We view this as a large sanctions award.
From the judge's order it is unclear what VanDerSchuit is doing.
- He did not tell the opposing attorney the deposition would not be attended.
- He then failed to cooperate in rescheduling the deposition.
- No written opposition to the motion and request for sanctions was filed.
Based on this ruling - what is your conclusion about attorney Kent VanDerSchuit, his competence, and whether you would want to hire him to represent you?
Then it got worse.
We looked at VanDerSchuit's State Bar profile and saw he had been suspended three times.
Once he was suspended for failing to pay his bar dues.
Then he was disciplined and suspended a second time.
The third suspension was for failing to pass a professional responsibility test.
Yikes!
Reviewing the discipline document, it appears there was a FOURTH issue was the bar where VanDerSchuit was privately reproved.
The State Bar said Kent VanDerSchuit failed to appear at a status conference. He failed to appear at another hearing.
He then failed to inform his clients that their lawsuit had been dismissed.
VanDerSchuit failed to competently perform legal services and violated the Business and Professions Code.
The discipline resulting in a suspension was apparently because VanDerSchuit had been ordered to pass a professional responsibility test by a certain date.
However, the Bar found he was "indifferent" to the situation and for 10 months "made no attempt" to complete this condition, even after the Bar notified him of his noncompliance.
was admitted to the California Bar in 1997. Bar Number 192674.
The VanDerSchuit Law Group
300 Carlsbad Village Drive, Suite 416
Carlsbad, California 92008
Law School: Thomas Jefferson School of Law
Sanctions are Recoverable as a Judgment - Analysis of the little known fact that sanctions awarded in a lawsuit can be enforced as their own separate judgment. Surprise someone by putting a lien on their bank account, home, wages, etc.