In a Philadelphia courtroom packed with tension, personal injury powerhouse Kline & Specter and former associate Thomas Bosworth unleashed a barrage of mutual accusations Tuesday, claiming the other side has repeatedly trampled their hard-fought 2024 settlement agreement. This latest clash, before Judge Michael Erdos of the Court of Common Pleas, underscores the fragility of post-departure pacts in the cutthroat world of contingency-fee litigation, where client loyalty and fee splits can ignite explosive disputes.
The hearing on October 7, 2025, marked the second time in just over a year that the parties have dragged each other back to court over alleged breaches of the August 2024 settlement, which resolved a nasty multi-lawsuit feud sparked by Bosworth’s abrupt exit from the firm in early 2023. Back then, Kline & Specter fired Bosworth just weeks after he notched a $19.7 million verdict in a high-profile case, prompting the firm to sue him for allegedly poaching clients, breaching fiduciary duties, and deceiving partners about his plans to launch Bosworth Law LLC. Bosworth fired back with countersuits, accusing the firm of wrongful termination, withholding earned fees, and enforcing an overly restrictive employment agreement that violated public policy and ethics rules on client choice.
That initial settlement, confidential in parts but partially unsealed in later filings, required Bosworth to reimburse the firm over $719,000 in client file costs, escrow $1 million as a compliance guarantee, share fees from pre-departure cases, and steer clear of representing any Kline & Specter clients. In return, the firm agreed to dismiss all claims, transfer files promptly, and drop demands for audits of Bosworth’s new practice. But peace proved short-lived. Last winter’s first enforcement skirmish ended in yet another side-deal on the courthouse steps, averting a hearing. Now, with fresh motions flying, the gloves are off again.
Kline & Specter, represented by Lamb McErlane partner Joseph Podraza Jr., led the charge by demanding sanctions against Bosworth for what they called deliberate foot-dragging and defiance. Podraza didn’t mince words in a heated exchange, labeling Bosworth a “devious person” intent on evading key clauses—like the ban on soliciting firm clients and the mandate to promptly divvy up origination fees. The firm alleged Bosworth stalled on withdrawing a $100,000 attorney fee claim from a California case, blocked a promised audit, and failed to fully reimburse costs, racking up over $500,000 in purported damages. “He’s not just late; he’s strategically obstructive,” Podraza argued, pushing for contempt findings and immediate compliance orders.
Bosworth, now solo at his Cherry Hill firm, countered through his counsel that Kline & Specter was the real scofflaw, filing the motion in “bad faith” to financially kneecap him. In November 2024 filings responding to the firm’s initial breach claims, Bosworth accused the partners— including founders Thomas Kline and Shanin Specter—of leaking the settlement to the press, a direct violation of its confidentiality terms. He also sought his own attorney fees, arguing the firm’s tactics were punitive and groundless. “K&S is the only party who has breached the settlement agreement,” Bosworth’s motion stated flatly, echoing his earlier assertions that a California court had already greenlit his fee pursuit as non-violative.
Legal experts watching the drama unfold say it’s a textbook cautionary tale for Big Law exits in plaintiff-side practices. “These disputes often boil down to trust erosion after the split—especially when seven-figure verdicts are at stake,” noted University of Pennsylvania law professor Cary Coglianese, who studies professional ethics. Coglianese pointed to similar blowups at other personal injury giants, where non-compete clauses and fee-sharing formulas clash with ABA Model Rule 1.16 on client file transitions. “If Bosworth’s right about the public policy angle, it could chill firms from overreaching in employment pacts,” he added in a recent analysis.
Public reactions have been swift and polarized within Philly’s tight-knit legal circles. On LinkedIn and legal forums, Kline & Specter loyalists decried Bosworth’s “ingratitude,” citing his rapid rise at the firm—from associate to trial star—before his ouster. “Firms invest years in these lawyers; poaching is betrayal,” one anonymous partner posted. Bosworth’s supporters, including allies from his $19.7M win, rallied online, framing the saga as a David-vs.-Goliath fight against a firm accused of bullying departures. Complicating matters, another ex-associate, Terrance DeAngelo, sued Kline & Specter in November 2024, alleging retaliation for his Bosworth friendship—claims of caseload slashing and deposition threats that mirror the original feud. Kline & Specter’s Podraza dismissed DeAngelo’s suit as “sad and meritless,” but it has fueled whispers of a toxic culture.
For U.S. readers—especially aspiring trial lawyers, firm partners, and clients navigating personal injury claims—this brawl ripples far beyond Pennsylvania’s borders. Economically, it spotlights the high-stakes math of contingency work: A single delayed fee split can cripple a solo practice’s cash flow, while firms foot massive defense tabs that hike malpractice premiums industry-wide. Politically, it stokes debates over lawyer mobility, with state bars in California and New Jersey eyeing reforms to Bosworth-like clauses amid antitrust scrutiny from the FTC. Lifestyle-wise, it humanizes the grind: Bosworth, once a rising star, now juggles court dates with client calls, a reminder that courtroom glory can sour into protracted battles. Technologically, the dispute hints at evolving tools—like AI-driven case audits—that could prevent such audits from becoming flashpoints. And in sports? Analogies abound to athlete holdouts, where loyalty clauses in NIL deals echo these fee tussles, affecting everything from endorsement splits to team dynamics.
User intent here leans toward understanding the nitty-gritty of legal settlements—how they’re enforced, what triggers breaches, and tips for avoiding them—while managing the broader narrative of firm loyalty versus individual ambition. As discovery ramps up ahead of the November 20 evidentiary hearing, both sides are hunkered down, with Kline & Specter vowing to “protect our investments” and Bosworth betting on judicial scrutiny to expose overreach.
In summary, Tuesday’s barbs in Philadelphia reveal a settlement teetering on collapse, with Judge Erdos already pruning claims—like nixing Bosworth’s press-leak gripe and clearing two of his TikTok posts as non-violations—to streamline the path forward. Looking ahead, a full-blown hearing could force mediation or even unwind the 2024 deal, setting precedents for how law firms handle exits in an era of fluid talent. Stakeholders brace for more fireworks, as this intra-legal war tests the limits of collegiality in America’s plaintiff bar.
By Sam Michael
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