Small Law Firms

Total Bull... Lawyer Keeps Buying Steer For Publicity And Then Not Paying, Says Lawsuit

How does someone let this happen twice?

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Not a steer… but the closest thing I could find on short notice.

Patrick Hawkins Wake of Pacheco & Wake managed to secure publicity for all the wrong reasons last week when he found himself on the wrong end of a lawsuit over a couple of steer and some disappointed children. The irony, of course, is that it was the quest for good publicity that almost inevitably got him in this boat in the first place:

The lawsuit was filed Tuesday in Denver County District Court. According to the suit, every year, the National Western Stock Show includes an auction where steers, lambs, hogs and goats raised by students ages 9 to 18 are sold to the highest bidder. The majority of the winning bid price goes to the student, and the remainder is put into the association’s scholarship trust, which provides money to students studying agriculture, rural medicine and veterinary science.

The lawsuit claims that, on Jan 19, 2018, Wake attended that year’s auction and, as bidder 119, was the highest bidder for the steer known as Lot 28. He signed a contract on behalf of himself and his law firm, and was supposed to pay within 72 hours.

He didn’t pay, and then ignored an invoice and repeated attempts to collect, the lawsuit alleges.

Wake wasn’t looking to take on a pet bull — not that lawyers haven’t done that. All the livestock that the adorable children raise are sent to slaughter. The only impact of the auction is raising money and earning publicity as a generous donor to the cause. Indeed, the lawsuit says Wake ended up in the Denver Post for his efforts. When he allegedly didn’t pay, the event picked up the tab to compensate the child.

But they went ahead and apparently let this guy bid on livestock again and he went ahead and won the auction again and, per the suit, he failed to pay again. Come on, people!

Still, it would be a bold move to go back to the same show one stiffed the year before and try to win another auction. I’m sure both steer Wake bid on would have appreciated having those balls.

Attorney twice won steer at scholarship auction but never paid, stock show says [Business Den]

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HeadshotJoe Patrice is a senior editor at Above the Law and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer. Feel free to email any tips, questions, or comments. Follow him on Twitter if you’re interested in law, politics, and a healthy dose of college sports news. Joe also serves as a Managing Director at RPN Executive Search.

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