Law firm dissolution leads to lawsuit between former partners

An attorney is suing over claims his former law partner has interfered with the accounting for the dissolution of their partnership.

John Scott Hoff and John Scott Hoff P.C. filed a lawsuit July 11 in the Cook County Circuit Court against Alejandro Herran, alleging breach of fiduciary duty.

According to the complaint, Hoff and Herran terminated their partnership agreement to perform legal services as Hoff & Herran on Dec. 31, which required an accounting Hoff attempted to provide and Herran allegedly disputed.

Hoff claims Herran has failed to pay his 50 percent of expenses and amounts owed to partnership creditors, withdrew $13,000 from partnership assets without Hoff's approval and has instructed partnership clients to pay him directly.

The suit states Hoff has requested an accounting from Herran, but he has refused.

Hoff is seeking judgment for an accounting between the the parties, costs and more than $50,000 in damages. He is representing himself in the matter.

Cook County Circuit Court Case No. 2014CHI1405.

This is a report on a civil lawsuit filed in the Cook County Circuit Court. The details in this report come from an original complaint filed by a plaintiff. Please note, a complaint represents an accusation by a private individual, not the government. It is not an indication of guilt, and it only represents one side of the story.