by Structured Settlement Watchdog®
David Springer's Legal Counsel Withdraws due to Springer's Deadbeat Status
Offit Kurman, the Bethesda law firm that has been acting as defense counsel for David Springer and Sovereign Funding Group in the Woodbridge lawsuit has made a motion to withdraw as counsel due to the defendants' deadbeat status. In a January 8, 2014 letter to David Springer at 4095 Lomar Drive Mt. Airy MD, Elyse Strickland advised David Springer, the CEO of Sovereign Funding Group that she, Maurice VerStandig and Offit Kurman, P.A.intended to file a motion to withdraw as counsel. Springer was advised that pursuant to Local Rule 101(2) of the United States District Court for the District of Maryland that unincorporated associations must have new counsel enter an appearance or be subject to a default judgment on all claims.
David Springer and Sovereign Funding Group Mt Airy Deadbeats
Elyse Strickland details David Springer and Sovereign Funding Group's failure to pay legal fees and costs incurred in connecton with the Woodbridge lawsuit pursuant to its retainer agreement. As of January 8, 2014, Springer and Sovereign Funding Group "have failed to pay multiple monthly bills, have accumulated a substantial accounts receivable balance, and have given no indication that payment will be forthcoming". Download Offit Kurman to David Springer deadbeat demand letter.
A motion to withdraw as counsel of Sovereign Funding and David Springer was filed February 19, 2014 by Elyse I. Strickland and Maurice B. VerStandig, individually and on behalf of the law firm of Offit Kurman, P.A, in the United States District Court for the District of Maryland.
Offit Kurman is the second law firm that has represented Defendants David Springer and Sovereign Funding Group in the Woodbridge case.
Of note the motion states "for reasons Counsel is prepared to share in camera, should this honorable Court deem necessary or advisable, Counsel wishes to withdraw their appearance in this matter." Wonder what that's all about?
Sovereign Funding Group Not A Legal Entity
The motion also notes that "Sovereign Funding is not in fact a legal entity but is, an entity that is, or was controlled exclusively by David Springer". (emphasis added)
In their answer to the complaint dated June 25, 2012, prepared by former counsel Michael Cryan of Arent Fox, the answer begins with " Defendants David Springer ("Springer") and Sovereign Mortgage and Funding Group (" Sovereign Funding")..." Download David Springer and Sovereign Funding Answer to Woodbridge Complaint 6-25-2012.
As I reported in my April 3, 2013 post, Questions about Sovereign Funding Group, on May 28, 2012, a screen shot of David Springer's Google + referred to his company as Sovereign Funding Group. In screen shots for the company website going back to 2002, the company, Sovereign Mortgage & Funding Group has always been referred to as "Sovereign Funding Group". The 2002 screen shot has the identical toll free number and email addresss listed on the sovereignfunding(dot)com website at the time of posting.
The following March 5, 2012 screen shot of a segment of the SMFG Outlook, that was supplied to me by an informant on May 25, 2012, who labeled the image "David Screenshot".
A search of the State of Maryland's online records made on the date of the April 3, 2013 post, show it as still active (it was certainly active at the time the Woodbridge suit was filed) , with David Springer's wife Melissa Springer, a Columbia MD veterinarian, listed as owner. Download SMFG Maryland SoS records 4-3-2013
In my October 4, 2013 blog post, Sovereign Funding CEO Admits Was Imposter For His Wide Takes 5th When Asked Why, I reported how in David Springer's June 28, 2013 deposition, Springer admitted to using his wife's name in an online forum beacuse he "was legally not allowed to work yet". I questioned why Melissa Springer's name was still being used over a decade later and pointed out that taking the 5th in a civil case does not have the same value as it would in a criminal case.
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