by Structured Settlement Watchdog
Strategic Capital, a Toronto based company that buys structured settlement payment rights from US citizens, flaunts four 5-8 year old PAID" recommendations" from state trial lawyers associations in public facing advertising.
The paid "recommendations" tell people to contact its former employee Cam Mears at the same time that Strategic Capital is suing Mears over a non-solicitation agreement. Mears has not worked for Stratcap for over 2.5 years. Mears is an independent contractor affiliated with Bentzen Financial. Something really smells bad about what Strategic Capital is doing, in my opinion. Let's take a closer look at what Strategic Capital is holding out to the public as recommendations from lawyer associations.
Reasons to Question Strategic Capital's Claims Of "Recommendations From Lawyer Associations"
1. Maryland Association for Justice, Inc. November 17, 2011 and May 8, 2014
- What Strategic Capital holds out as an endorsement was in fact a perk of paying $7,000 to be a Platinum Sponsor. Download MAJ _ About MAJ _ MAJ Sponsors _ Program Information 1-5-2019. In other words paid "recommendations" when they were made
- The 2011 paid "recommendation" was penned by David B. Walls, who is no longer Executive Director of the Maryland Association for Justice. The current Executive Director is Alison Dodge, who leadership extends back to May 2017.
- The 2014 paid "recommendation" was made by David M. Kopstein and specifically references Platinum sponsorship
- The endorsement says to call Cam Mears who is not with Strategic Capital for over 2.5 years and Strategic Capital is suing over a non-solicitation agreement.
- But here's the kicker, Strategic Capital is claiming the endorsement of the Maryland Association for Justice and even displays the seal of the Maryland Association for Justice when it is not even listed as a current sponsor. Download 1-5-2019 MAJ _ About MAJ _ Sponsors
- At the time of today's posting, Strategic Capital is not legally allowed to buy structured settlement payment rights in Maryland as it not registered with the Maryland Attorney General's office, a requirement since 2016.
- It appears that Strategic Capital updated its website in or about June-July 2018 but chose to continue to display the seals of the MAJ and the outdated paid recommendations. Stratcap knew they weren't legally allowed to solicit business in in Maryland yet put the solicitation out there anyway!
How ethical is it of Strategic Capital to flaunt 2011 and 2014 paid "recommendations" and to display the seal of the Maryland Association for Justice when Stratcap is not even paying the price of admission to be a Platinum sponsor of Maryland Association for Justice?
2. Kentucky Association for Justice
The "recommendation" was written by lawyer J.T. Gilbert who is listed as Immediate Past President. According to Gilbert's law firm website he was President of Kentucky Association for Justice in 2011. Therefore one can reasonably deduce that the "recommendation" was made in 2012. The "recommendation" includes Cam Mears name, not a current employee of Strategic Capital. Unlike Maryland however, it appears that Stratcap ponied up the cash to be a sponsor of KAJ.
3. New Hampshire Association for Justice February 10, 2012
- Another paid recommendation that uses the name of the former employee that Stratcap is suing.
- Strategic Capital is not listed on the NHAJ website as a sponsor.
How ethical is it for Stratcap to use the seal of the New Hampshire Association of Justice and an outdated paid recommendation to solicit new business from New Hampshire lawyers and residents if it is not a sponsor and Stratcap is not even displayed by New Hampshire Trial Lawyers on its website?
4. Another paid recommendation that uses the name of the former employee that Stratcap is suing.
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