Don’t be shocked, but when it comes to the debt relief industry, it can get very nasty, very fast.
I first covered a case involving GM Law Firm and attorney Macy Hanson, in 2018. You can see past GM Law Firm posts here. That first case also involved National Legal Staffing Support and Resolvly.
It is hard to tell who is on a mission to take action against the other. If there ever were a pitted battle between an attorney and a debt relief firm, this would certainly be in the top five.
Mr. Hanson is an attorney with a bone, and the Defendants appear to want him to go away and feel they are unfairly targeted or not doing anything wrong.
In October of 2020, National Legal Staffing Support, Resolvly, and GM Law Firm filed suit against attorney Hanson.
That lawsuit against Hanson said, “Plaintiffs National Legal Staffing Support, LLC, Resolvly, LLC and GM Law Firm, LLC hereby sue Defendants Macy D. Hanson and The Law Office of Macy D. Hanson, PLLC for breach of contract, libel, abuse of process, and tortious interference.” – Source
In September of 2020, Hanson had filed suit on behalf of his client, Winkler, against GM Law Firm, Chantel L. Grant, National Legal Staffing Support, Gregory Fishman, Julie Queler, Kevin Mason, and Resolvly.
In that complaint, the court document says:
“This is a single-plaintiff consumer case about an illegal nationwide, advanced fee, student loan debt resolution scam that leaves vulnerable debtors, like the Plaintiff, Brian Winkler, tens of thousands of dollars poorer, in exchange for broken promises about impossible legal services that are never, and never could be, actually performed.
The Defendants, through their web of business relationships, engage in illegal cold-call-telemarketing to solicit consumers, like Brian Winkler, struggling with their private student loan debt to enroll in the Defendants’ student loan debt resolution “program” – which turns out to be nothing more than the Defendants’ Enterprise’s illegal collection of up-front fees for the performance of little, if any, legitimate legal/debt resolution services.” – Source
Also in September 2020, Hanson filed another lawsuit against the same Plaintiffs in Hodges v. GM Law Firm.
But GM Law Firm wasn’t just on the radar of Macy Hanson. In 2018 Attorney Daniel Gamez filed suit for his clients against Kevin Mason, GM Law Firm, Chantel L. Grant, National Legal Staffing Support, Reliant Account Management, RAM, Resolvly, Gregory Fishman, Julie Queler, Benjamin Zuckerman, Berger Singerman, and Daszkal Bolton. – Source
Gamez also filed suit against Kevin Mason, GM Law Firm, Chantel L. Grant, and Stuart E. Goldberg in another case involving student loan assistance services. – Source
Gamez and Hanson
Both attorneys Daniel Gamez and Macy Hanson, appear to have found a target they have given attention to.
I don’t know if GM Law Firm and others came back swinging at Gamez, but it appears they did against Macy Hanson in that October 2020 suit against him.
Hanson has since responded to the lawsuit and raises some interesting alleged facts in his court document.
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Open in new tab In the suit filed against Hanson by GM Law Firm and others, it says:
“Even after Ali resolved, Defendants continued with their threats. In connection with a reimbursement payment, Hanson emailed: “I am also going to start returning some emails and voice mails from others clients interested in talking to Dan and I. Same with some former NLSS employees. I was hoping this would be over. If we get screwed on this, then Dan and I might just get interested in continuing to litigate against your client.” The email was signed “Scum Hanson.”
That sounds kind of bad, but in Hanson’s response, he fills in a gap, “Macy Hanson admits to writing the quoted truthful text of the email message in this passage. The reference to “Scum Hanson” is a reference to Plaintiffs’ calling Macy Hanson “scum” in prior communications.”
Interesting Twist
In the Winkler v. GM Law Firm case, there is an interesting twist. On March 2, 2021, a court document states, “On the morning of December 29, 2020, Defendant, Julie Queler, in her individual capacity, agreed to the previously negotiated terms for a global settlement of three active federal lawsuits filed against her, her businesses, and her business partners (the co-Defendants in this, and the other two related, federal court actions). These three federal civil lawsuits, all making the same factual allegations about Ms. Queler’s, and her business’ and partners’, (fraudulent and illegal) student loan “debt elimination” program consistent of: (1) Winkler v. GM Law Firm, LLC, et al. (District of Arizona; Civil Action No. 3:20-cv08248-DWL); (2) Grijalva v. Kevin Mason, et al. (Central District of California; Civil Action No. 8:18-cv-02010-MCS (DFMx)); and (3) Hodges v. GM Law Firm, LLC, et al. (Northern District of Georgia, Civil Action No. 1:20-cv-03799-JPB).” – Source
The same document goes on to say, Queler agreed to pay the following amounts to settle her part of the cases:
“$55,000 to settle Vivian Grijalva.
$50,000 to settle Brian Winkler.
$25,000 to settle Zachary Hodges.”
But it goes on to say, “Julie Queler, however, did not fund any of these three settlement agreements by the 30 day deadline that she proposed. The reasons for this are still not clear to the Plaintiffs or their counsel.”
The court in the Winkler case wound up issuing a judgment against Queler.
Queler was described in the Winkler complaint this way, ” Julie Queler, is a Florida citizen. Julie Queler, upon information and belief, is a primary investor, and business partner, to Gregory Fishman in this RICO Enterprise. Julie Queler is involved in the day-to-day management of this Enterprise.” – Source
Just My Opinion
When debt relief companies and lawyers devolve into this kind of back and forth, there can’t be any winners. Who is going to give up first? Certainly not the parties so apparently emotionally involved in this matter.
I would not be surprised if Macy Hanson has not made it a legal crusade or quest to go after more alleged advanced fee student loan assistance companies. And I would not be surprised to see more state and federal court time occupied with more back and forth suits.
What is curious is if the Biden Administration does forgive up to $50,000 of student loan debt, which is about 80 percent of all outstanding federal student debtor accounts, how is that going to gut the student loan assistance companies, and will all of this legal effort back and forth be ended?
What do you think? Comment below.
Sorry to bring up the old thread, but I just wanted to share my encounter with GM law firm. They promised me the world when I was absolutely suffocating from student loans right after graduation. The minimum payments left me with a few hundred dollars for myself at the end of the month, causing me to go deeper in debt on credit cards for basic needs. Kevin Mason’s promises sounded like a light in a spiraling pit of darkness.
After paying $800 for 2 years, some articles started to surface about them being a scam (mind you I signed up in 2015). I started researching this further and talked to real lawyers only to find out that nothing has been done for my case. I actually spoke to Macy Hanson too, who further encouraged me to cut my ties with them. I changed my account and ditched them, they then blew up my phone for a few weeks, leaving threatening messages, until they gave up and sent a dismissal of contract. $19200 in the hole, I was left with all my student loans unsettled and accumulated with compound interest.
I have since settled them all myself, but I was not aware that I could go after Kevin Mason and the rest of their LLC’s as they technically stuck to the contract.
Sorry to bring up the old thread, but I just wanted to share my encounter with GM law firm. They promised me the world when I was absolutely suffocating from student loans right after graduation. The minimum payments left me with a few hundred dollars for myself at the end of the month, causing me to go deeper in debt on credit cards for basic needs. Kevin Mason’s promises sounded like a light in a spiraling pit of darkness.
After paying $800 for 2 years, some articles started to surface about them being a scam (mind you I signed up in 2015). I started researching this further and talked to real lawyers only to find out that nothing has been done for my case. I actually spoke to Macy Hanson too, who further encouraged me to cut my ties with them. I changed my account and ditched them, they then blew up my phone for a few weeks, leaving threatening messages, until they gave up and sent a dismissal of contract. $19200 in the hole, I was left with all my student loans unsettled and accumulated with compounded interest. I have since settled them all myself, but I was not aware that I could go after GM as they technically stuck to the contract.
“I’m Brian Winkler, the Winkler in this article. I just want to say that I’m very happy with the services of my attorney, Macy Hanson, and I encourage anyone else with questions about this to reach out to Macy directly.”
Thank you for stopping by and leaving your feedback.
Hi Brian,
Glad you got it resolved. I was able to resolve my issue the GM, NLSS and Kevin Mason a couple of years ago for a full refund. It wasn’t without a nasty voicemail left by Greg Fishman that I still have to this day. Both the recording and a transcription. I really hope these guys get busted. They’re hurting students day after day with fake promises.
Sorry for the delay in replying. I am happy you got a full refund, as I am still waiting for writs of garnishment to be filed in Palm Beach County, FL against Julie Queler. She has refused to pay since the AZ court ruled that she must pay. Furthermore, Greg has basically kept funds from being ‘funneled’ to Julie afa company profits, so the three plaintiffs, including myself, are not paid….per Mr. Hanson, my attorney. Greg and Julie have also filed a suit against Mr. Hanson, which seems like an attempt to keep others from doing what previous plaintiffs have done, or someone like yourself, getting refunded.
I imagine your voicemail from Greg was a tirade, since I’ve heard other stories of his vulgarity. Again. glad to hear of your outcome and hope to replicate it for myself sometime soon.
It sure sounds like a big mess. Any predictions on how this will all end?
Due to the complexity of all the legal happenings, I cannot speculate, but ultimately, Julie Queler has a judge’s order against her that she has not complied with. I just hope that justice is served, for me and all the plaintiffs effected by Greg, Julie, and their associates.