Law Firm Threatened Hinsdale D86 With Collections

HINSDALE, IL – Hinsdale High School District 86's former law firm threatened late last year to take the district to collections if it did not pay its bills.

By the district's accounting in June, the outstanding invoices total $228,000.

On Monday, the district released a Dec. 9 letter from the Chicago-based Robbins Schwartz law firm to Patch.

This was the document that the district spent thousands of dollars in its legal fight to keep secret. The effort was in response to Patch's complaint to the attorney general, which sided with Patch last month.

In the letter, Joseph Perkoski, Robbins' managing partner, said his firm sent a letter in October outlining its concerns about "disparaging" statements that officials made about the firm's invoices during a school board meeting. He said the firm found out through a Patch story that the board voted against paying the September bill, which covered August's work.

The firm said it then offered to meet with officials about their concerns. Such a meeting was held in November.

"During that meeting, your team did not have any questions related to specific entries on the September invoice," Perkoski said.

He said his firm had been patient and cooperative with the district.

"We continued to provide services to the District and protected the District while you obtained new counsel," he said. "All of the work performed was reasonable and was directed by the Board and the administration."

The firm's agreement with the district requires that invoices be paid within 30 days of issuance. Because of that, the firm must receive payment for its September and October bills by Dec. 29, 2024, Perkoski said.

If that does not happen, he said, the firm would engage its attorney to start collection proceedings.

Perkoski and district officials did not return messages left on Monday. It is unclear whether the district is in collections. Patch has submitted a public records request to that effect.

Early last September, Robbins terminated its relationship with the district, saying the district was "unreasonably difficult" to serve. That was a few days after the school board hired another firm for some of its legal business.

Robbins said it would ensure a smooth transition to protect the district's interests. So some work continued after the termination notice.

At the October board meeting, officials questioned the law firm's unusually high legal bill, with members calling it "appalling" and saying there was no excuse.

Robbins' relationship with the district began with a secret meeting before a new board majority took office on May 3, 2023. The firm met with a few current and incoming members.

Upon taking office, the board hired the firm as special counsel to handle the legalities of ousting then-Superintendent Tammy Prentiss.

Before the board chose Robbins as the main law firm, members talked for months about issuing a request for proposals, comparing firms' prices and offerings.

In January 2024, though, the board changed course and appointed Robbins Schwartz, bypassing competition. It did not explain the change.

Robbins' bills were unusually high. The firm was on track to make $1 million in a year.