Houston, TX, March 24, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Following its warning against predatory lawyers on Tuesday, March 17th, Houston-based organization Stop Legal Bullying Now, LLC is also cautioning Texas citizens about mandatory arbitration clauses that predatory lawyers use to quietly force clients to waive their Seventh Amendment right to a fair trial.
Caroline and Richard Allison, whose estate dispute was previously cited as a cautionary example for Texans to watch out for predatory lawyers when navigating probate matters, say that Dallas-based arbitrator Anne Ashby underplayed or hid connections that would raise concerns about her impartiality on the case, despite American Arbitration Association (AAA) rules that require full disclosure. The family also says Ashby has a history of rulings that have consistently favored attorneys and corporate parties. In a court, these kind of concerns would be subject to transparency and judicial review, but in arbitration, the family says they had no meaningful way to push back.
In their case, Ashby ultimately ruled in favor of the Allisons former attorneys Nick Abaza, Jorge Borunda, and Michael Trevino and now the family is facing a lengthy and often unproductive appeal process. Ashby’s alleged unethical oversight on this case has also been investigated by Dolcefino Media, that released the second part of the two-part investigative series today Damn Lawyers 2: The Stench of Cronyism.
According to the family’s claims, Dolcefino’s investigation and supporting records, Ashby oversaw the family’s arbitration despite:
- Having long-standing professional, business and personal relationships with several key attorneys in the opposing party before, during, and after the arbitration proceedings.
- Limited disclosure of some of these relationships, and complete lack of disclosure for other relationships.
- Failure to disclose her Chapter 7 Bankruptcy and omission of income under penalty of perjury, a hardship she experienced after her time on the Bench, but during the time she joined opposing counsel’s law firm as a director, to whom she owed a personal debt to.
- These key relationships were not understood by the Allisons until after the arbitration award was issued.
“Arbitration gives arbitrations enormous power, but almost no accountability. We never had a meaningful opportunity to seek recusal of Ashby for our case.” said Caroline Allison, founder of Stop Legal Bullying Now. “By the time we understood the extent of her conflicts, Ashby had already ruled against us. The law was on our side, but the system didn’t protect us. When Ashby presided over our case, she chose to ignore laws that protect consumers like us from predatory lawyers. And that cost us everything.”
Unlike court proceedings, arbitration decisions are typically final, confidential, and offer limited options for appeal. The arbitrators also benefit massively from immunity that protects them from any liability for their rulings, even prohibiting courts from reviewing their decisions when individuals claim bad ethics or incorrect rulings. Full disclosure is crucial in arbitration because there’s limited to no ability to appeal if something was not disclosed.
"This whole case has the stench of cronyism. We launched this investigation to stop lawyers and arbitrators who preyed on a multi-million dollar inheritance, cheating a brother and sister from their father's wishes," said Wayne Dolcefino of Dolcefino Media. "If attorneys are looking to rig an arbitration, this was the perfect formula to get away with it. Attorneys Nick Abaza, Jorge Borunda, and Michael Trevino should be ashamed. And former Dallas judge Arbitrator Anne Ashby had no business to get anywhere near this case."
The Allison’s are now appealing Ashby’s decision, arguing that she issued improper rulings, exceeded her authority, and failed to fully disclose her conflict of interest with the law firm in this case. Notably, the family says Ashby has a consistent pattern of ruling in favor of the corporations and law firms that bring her onto their case, rather than the individuals often fighting case mismanagement and unethical guidance. They also believe Ashby was handpicked by their former counsel, knowing her personally and based on that very pattern.
In many legal contracts, the family claims that arbitration clauses are hidden in lengthy agreements and signed without negotiation, or a clear explanation of the rights a client may be waiving. The Allisons are now urging individuals to understand that arbitration can significantly limit their options if something goes wrong.
“This isn’t about one ruling,” Allison said. “It’s about a structure that gives enormous authority to private arbitrations done behind closed doors while denying consumers meaningful recourse.”
The Allison’s are warning families against signing arbitration clauses completely due to:
- Waiving your constitutional 7th amendment right to a jury trial in a public courtroom.
- Exorbitant costs of a private arbitration proceeding, with having to pay for the Arbitration forum costs, the arbitrator (lawyer fees), and your legal team.
- Opportunities for appeal are extremely limited or completely unavailable.
- Arbitrators are shielded from meaningful accountability through immunity.
- New evidence of bias or undisclosed information cannot be presented in appellate courts.
New Texas Legislation Needed:
As a result of this experience, the Allison’s are pushing for change in the state of Texas. Caroline has already submitted four proposed resolutions ahead of a new legislative session.
- Texas Attorney-Client Arbitration Fairness Act: Require that any arbitration clause in attorney-client agreements be entered into with informed consent. Clients must be advised in writing to seek independent legal counsel, be given a reasonable opportunity to consult that counsel, and sign a separate written disclosure acknowledging the rights being waived before arbitration can be enforced.
- Texas Legal Consumer Protection and Attorney Accountability Act: Require attorneys licensed in Texas to maintain legal malpractice insurance of at least $500,000 or an amount commensurate with the value of the legal matters they undertake. This establishes accountability and would give clients financial recovery options if negligence occurs.
- Robin’s Law – The Texas Family Integrity and Probate Fairness Act: Extend the existing prohibition on contingency fees in divorce and child custody matters to the broader family category, including probate, inheritance, and estate disputes.
- Texas Attorney Complaint Transparency and Record Preservation Act: Require the Texas State Bar to permanently retain all bar complaints filed against licensed attorneys as part of the attorney’s disciplinary record, even if the complaint is dismissed.
The Allison family is available to speak on the record as part of an ongoing consumer-education effort connected to the investigative video series.
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Stop Legal Bullying Now, LLC stoplegalbullying@pm.me
