Advoque Safeguard, LLC, along with its principals Paul Shrater and Andrew Stack, have filed a lawsuit against their former legal representatives, alleging severe professional misconduct that has resulted in significant financial harm. The complaint was lodged on November 4, 2025, in the Superior Court of California, County of Santa Clara, targeting the law firm Sellar Hazard & Lucia and two of its attorneys, Christian Lucia and Justin Graham.
The plaintiffs claim that the defendants provided negligent legal services across multiple cases. Advoque Safeguard was involved in litigation against Sanctuary Systems due to inadequate supply deliveries impacting their N95 respirator production. The legal team allegedly mishandled the engagement agreement for this case by drafting an invalid contingency fee arrangement and improperly withdrawing $300,000 from litigation funds without proper authorization or disclosure of conflicts of interest. This withdrawal led to a substantial financial burden on Advoque as they now face a potential repayment of $1.2 million to their litigation funder Legalist.
Further compounding these issues, the defendants are accused of failing to competently represent Shrater and Stack in another case involving Professional Plastics Inc., where they neglected to file necessary pleadings on behalf of these individuals. This oversight resulted in default judgments being entered against them for nearly $6 million.
The plaintiffs argue that these actions constitute professional negligence and breach of fiduciary duty. They assert that the defendants prioritized their own financial interests over those of their clients by securing upfront payments from litigation funds while failing to provide adequate legal representation. As a result, Advoque Safeguard and its principals have suffered significant damages both financially and reputationally.
In seeking redress from the court, the plaintiffs demand compensatory damages exceeding $7.5 million alongside restitution for the unauthorized $300,000 withdrawal. They also seek exemplary damages due to what they describe as fraudulent conduct by their former attorneys. Additionally, they request reimbursement for attorney fees incurred during this litigation process.
Representing Advoque Safeguard LLC are attorneys Ryan Abbott and Tom Rickeman from Brown, Neri, Smith & Khan LLP. The case is presided over by Judge J. Nguyen under Case No. 25CV479324.
Source: 25CV479324_Advoque_Safeguard_v_Sellar_Hazard_Complaint_County_of_Santa_Clara_California.pdf
