Little Rock Attorney Departs Lion Legal Amid Lawsuit & Fee Dispute

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Remember the case of Little Rock attorney Patrick Benca, who has hauled his former law partners into court, saying they conspired to take fees he earned?

Well, since we reported that in early March, a few things have happened.

For starters, Benca is no longer with Lion Legal, the North Little Rock firm he joined last year to manage and expand its criminal defense division. Benca, who has more than 25 years of experience in criminal defense, is known for his work representing Damien Echols, a member of the West Memphis Three, who was freed from Arkansas’ death row in 2011. Benca left Lion Legal last month.

The split from the law firm also spilled over to Benca’s civil lawsuit. Lion Legal was representing Benca and his namesake firm in his case against his former colleagues, but not anymore.

The firm asked to withdraw from the case on April 17, and its request was granted a day later by Pulaski County Circuit Judge Cara Connors.

“Further representation has been rendered unreasonably difficult by the client,” attorney Rebecca Ferguson of Lion Legal wrote in the motion asking to walk away from the case. “Further representation of the Plaintiffs in this matter would cause a significant and unreasonable financial burden on the Movant and professional considerations compel this motion to withdraw.”

Lion Legal also recently filed a notice of attorneys’ lien on Benca and his firm, P. Benca Law Offices, saying they owe $44,625 as of May 1 for work related to the case. The work included filing a complaint and amended complaint.

The dispute at the center of Benca’s lawsuit started when Benca was at the McDaniel Wolff & Benca law firm in Little Rock, which opened in 2020.

Benca’s 57-page lawsuit, filed in February in Pulaski County Circuit Court, claims that the firm’s policies guaranteed that lawyers who secured a client would get 20% of that client’s attorneys fees no matter who handled the case. Benca said that he secured a personal injury case that could have brought in millions, and Benca projected he might reap up to $300,000. But he didn’t receive anything when the case was closed.

Benca named as defendants Dustin McDaniel, the former Arkansas attorney general and a member of the firm at the time, and his brother, Brett McDaniel, an attorney in Jonesboro who wasn’t working at Benca’s firm, Benca’s former law partner Vincent Ward of Little Rock and the law firm of McDaniel Wolff of Little Rock. Benca wants 20% of the total attorneys fees earned in the personal injury case and other damages.

Defendants have filed motions to dismiss the case or to stay the case and send it to arbitration. Those motions are pending.

The defendants have said that they don’t owe Benca money and his case is without merit.

Since Lion Legal exited in mid-April, Benca hasn’t filed anything in the case — nor has anyone on his behalf.

Benca didn’t return a call or email from Whispers by press time.

Benca’s Bankruptcy

Patrick Benca’s lawsuit over alleged fees that he said he was owed came on the heels of his filing for Chapter 13 bankruptcy reorganization in February. Benca listed $345,142 in debts and $349,725 in assets.

Benca reported his monthly income was $8,790. His attorney is listed as John Phillips of Lion Legal.