Davis Law Group, P.S.

Case Study: T.V. Lawyer Nailed for False Advertising

Arizona lawyer Stephen M. Zang and his partner ran numerous T.V. commercials and other massive print advertising to market their young 4 year-old law firm. The campaign was hugely successful – it managed to produce over 1600 personal injury cases in just four years. The ads contained the following statements:

• We are a personal injury law firm with the medical experience to understand complicated injuries. We have investigations to find witnesses and hidden evidence.

• We perform detailed preparation in your case, and the better your case is prepared for trial, the more likely your case will settle out of court.

• If you are in an accident, you need more than a lawyer’s words.

The ads included dramatic footage or scenes showing accidents, books about accidents and medicine, a judge in a courtroom, and a picture showing the attorney arguing before a jury in the courtroom.

Upon investigation, the Supreme Court of Arizona discovered the following:

• No attorney at the firm had ever tried a personal injury case in court or to its conclusion.

• Mr. Zang, who was pictured in ads arguing a case in front of a jury, admitted that he was not competent to try personal injury cases.

• The firm had an express policy of not taking cases to trial.

• In those cases where trial was necessary, the policy was to refer the case to a competent personal injury attorney who would try the case in court for a cut of the fee.

• Although the firm’s policy was to settle all cases, the clients were not told this.

• Clients were never informed about the attorneys’ lack of experience or that their case would be referred to another attorney if trial was necessary.

• Mr. Zang and his law partner were found to have committed numerous ethics violations.

They were disbarred by the Arizona Supreme Court.

When looking for a personal injury attorney, there is a lot on the line. Make sure you do research. Just because they have fancy ads on T.V. does not make them qualified.