Not to be outdone, the plaintiffs fired back by filing their lawsuit in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania on May 24, 2023. Their allegations included breach of contract, legal malpractice via negligent representation, and intentional misrepresentation after discovering the errors committed by Meyers Roman.
Jurisdiction Battle Escalates
Meyers Roman swiftly sought to dismiss the Pennsylvania lawsuit, arguing that the Pennsylvania court had no jurisdiction over the firm since their sole office was in Ohio. However, the judge’s verdict came as a shocker. The ruling underscored that all legal work related to the plaintiffs had been performed in connection to a Pennsylvania real estate project.
“A federal court sitting in Pennsylvania has jurisdiction over the parties to the extent provided under Pennsylvania state law,” the judge wrote. “Pennsylvania law permits a court to exercise personal jurisdiction over non-residents ‘to the fullest extent allowed under the Constitution of the United States,’ and that exercise of personal jurisdiction ‘may be based on the most minimum contact with this Commonwealth allowed under the Constitution of the United States.'”
Plaintiff Kevin Baird sues Meyer Roman : Awaiting the Next Move
As the dust settles on this thrilling legal battle, both sides remain tight-lipped, with no immediate comments from their counsel or representatives. Kevin Baird and his companies are represented by Mark S. Haltzman and Malcolm S. Gould of Silverang Rosenzweig & Haltzman LLC, while Meyers Roman is represented by Bryan P. Werley of Zarwin Baum and Jonathan D. Weiss of Marshall Dennehey Warner Coleman & Goggin.
