Giatras
Webb
CHARLESTON -- Ogden Directories is suing Giatras Law Firm and attorneys Troy N. Giatras and Rusty Webb after it claims they failed to pay nearly $200,000 for advertising.
The defendants entered into contracts with Ogden Directories and agreed to pay money in return for advertising in a phone book published by the plaintiff, according to two complaints filed June 28 in Kanawha Circuit Court.
Giatras and Webb failed to pay $185,439.28 for the advertising, according to the suits.
Ogden Directories claims the defendants breached their contracts by failing to pay for the advertising.
Webb said he has paid his Ogden Directories bills since he started his own practice, but that Giatras was responsible for the bills when they worked together. Webb has not had contact with Giatras since February 2006, when he started his own practice, The Webb Law Firm.
"He is responsible for all bills of that law firm and our former firm," Webb said. "Ogden has never indicated to me that bills for their directory were not paid prior to February 2006."
Giatras said the lawsuits are "without merit."
"We've always paid our bills on time," Giatras said Wednesday. "We were given credits (on our account), and we've talked to people from Ogden about this."
Ogden Directories is seeking actual damages in the amount of $185,439.28 with pre- and post-judgment interest. The company is being represented by Gerald Hayden.
The cases have been assigned to Circuit Judges James C. Stucky and Charles King.
Kanawha Circuit Court case number: 10-C-1172 and 10-C-1173