IP Firm Files $60M Antitrust Suit vs. LegalZoom, State Bars

LegalZoom and bar regulators were hit Dec. 19 with a $60 million federal antitrust suit that alleges the legaltech giant “surreptitiously violates unauthorized practice of law rules” and that bar authorities “turn a blind eye” to those violations.

Plaintiff Raj V. Abhyanker, a prominent IP attorney and entrepreneur, told Bloomberg Law his suit aims to ensure attorneys can “compete on an equal footing” with a company that is gobbling up market share in the legal services world by disclaiming status as a law firm and avoiding the regulatory costs associated with being one.