AG James announced that her office has secured an agreement to close the predatory law firm Tenants Counsel Network (TCN) for taking advantage of New York City tenants facing eviction. An Office of the Attorney General (OAG) investigation found that TCN targeted tenants facing eviction and used deceptive marketing tactics to trap them into binding legal agreements that required a monthly subscription fee. After trapping tenants in these agreements, TCN failed to provide adequate legal counsel, including failing to show up to eviction court proceedings. As a result of OAG’s intervention, TCN and its Founding Partner Aryeh Weber must dissolve their firm, refund $172,257 to former clients, and pay $35,000 in penalties to New York. The OAG will oversee the refund process to ensure all clients are contacted and refunds are distributed. 

“When tenants seek legal counsel, they should be able to trust that their lawyers are going to help them. Housing is a stabilizing force for New York families, and this law firm preyed on New Yorkers who stood to lose it. Today, my office is putting hard-earned money back in New Yorkers’ pockets and making sure that this law firm cannot harm any tenant again.” -AG James