Hugh Slate, Slate & Leoni, Debt Collection – Dial NO-BILLS Day or Night TV Commercial – Dec 1987

Hugh Slate, Slate & Leoni, Debt Collection – Dial NO-BILLS Day or Night TV Commercial – Dec 1987

Slate and Leoni, a Unique Los Angeles Bankruptcy Law Firm
Slate and Leoni was a truly unique Los Angeles bankruptcy law firm. The law firm was founded by attorney Hugh Slate in the late 1950′s with his law partner, Andrew F. Leoni. Together, they made bankruptcy law history, representing individuals and small business people. I worked at the firm as an attorney from 1980 to 1989. So did Jeffrey Wishman and Peter Leotta, who would form the firm Bayer, Wishman & Leotta with me in 1989. The workplace at Slate and Leoni was always congenial, and often fun. Hugh Slate and Andrew Leoni each possessed a wonderful sense of humor. They were always accessible to the young lawyers. They were wonderful legal mentors. They fostered a strong sense of loyalty and teamwork. At the end of most work days, the two partners would round up all the lawyers and we would walk over to the L.A. Athletic club to enjoy cocktails and friendship.
(Call 213-629-8801 to reach former Slate and Leoni attorneys Marcus Tiggs, Jeff Wishman and Leon Bayer.)
The end of Slate & Leoni came around 2001, with the retirement of Mr. Leoni. Mr. Slate had passed away about 10 years earlier. The remaining attorneys of Slate and Leoni at the time of Mr. Leoni’s retirement were Marcus Tiggs and Robert Leon. Marcus Tiggs was the last Managing Partner of Slate and Leoni. When Slate & Leoni closed it’s doors for good, Mr. Tiggs joined Bayer, Wishman & Leotta. Robert Leon worked briefly as a staff lawyer for a chapter 13 trustee, and then he retired. The firm’s remaining cases were transferred to Bayer, Wishman & Leotta for completion. You can still call the Slate and Leoni phone number of 213-629-8801 to obtain information.

Why was Slate and Leoni so unique? Here’s why. They handled a huge volume of cases. But they did so with zeal, passion, and maintained the highest professional standards. But there was something else. The attorney fees. The firm would represent a client with no money down, and easy monthly payments. The goal was to gain immediate debt relief for each client. In the firm’s hayday, it employed almost 70 attorneys and other staff. Sometimes the firm would see as many as 100 clients per day.

Slate and Leoni once stopped a foreclosure sale in less than 1 hour.
You could walk in the door early any morning, and tell Mr. Slate that there was going to be a foreclosure sale of your home later that day. He would grab the necessary lawyers and staff away from whatever they were doing, and put them to work to immediately prepare and file your case. The foreclosure sale of your home would be stopped. All in a matter of a couple of hours. I remember one occasion when we prepared and filed a case, all in less than one hour. Just to see if we could do it.

This will give you some perspective. Back in those days, there were no computers. No electronic case filing. That “one hour” bankruptcy case had to be drafted, typed, and have a messenger run the papers to court, all in less than one hour. And the client didn’t pay one dime up front.

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Video preservation by DDVF.com for educational purposes. Original airdate was December 1987.