QuickTake:

Chase Brooks, 32, died in 2020. A lawsuit filed by his estate was dismissed last year, but his mother contends the attorney representing his estate “did not protect the client’s interests” in a new negligence lawsuit filed against attorney Brian Michaels.

An attorney for the mother of a man fatally shot by Springfield police failed to represent her interests, a new negligence lawsuit alleges.

The attorney, Brian Michaels, had filed a lawsuit against Springfield and two police officers on behalf of the estate of Chase Brooks, 32, who died March 14, 2020.

But about three months before a scheduled 2025 trial, Michaels is alleged to have agreed to dismiss the wrongful death and negligence claims “without authority from the client,” the new lawsuit states.

Brooks died after being shot by Springfield police officer Eric Pardee in the parking lot of a Best Buy store.

Patty Perlow, who was Lane County’s district attorney at the time, reviewed the shooting and declined to file any criminal charges against Pardee. Perlow found that Pardee feared Brooks was going to attack him with a tire iron he was holding.

Karen Brooks, mother of the slain man, then filed a lawsuit in 2022 on behalf of the Brooks estate, alleging negligence and wrongful death by Pardee and another Springfield officer, as well as the city.

Now, Brooks, in a new lawsuit filed May 7, alleges negligence by her former attorney, Michaels.

Brooks contends that in a March 7, 2025, meeting with Michaels, he “stated that he did not want to follow through on his agreement to represent the Estate through trial.”

The new negligence lawsuit says Michaels misrepresented her case during an April 7, 2025, status conference with U.S. District Judge Mustafa Kasubhai.

“At the status conference, defense counsel misrepresented to the Court that the matter had been settled by stipulation of the parties. Michaels also misrepresented that the case was settled,” Brooks alleges in the new lawsuit.

“Brian Michael’s decision to voluntarily dismiss the remaining negligence claims without authority from the client did not protect the client’s interests, was a violation of the rules of professional conduct, and was negligent under the circumstances,” the new lawsuit says.

The new negligence lawsuit alleges the defendants filed a motion to enforce settlement at a time when Michaels “had unilaterally withdrawn from representing Ms. Brooks anymore.” 

The motion to enforce settlement, filed April 17, 2025, by attorneys for the Springfield officers and the city, cited court filings, emails from Michaels and statements made during the April 7, 2025, hearing in asking the court to recognize the settlement as binding.

Brooks responded April 28 “on her own,” but on May 1, 2025, the court ordered dismissal of the case with prejudice, meaning it cannot be refiled.

The new lawsuit contends the dismissal of the first case “caused irreparable harm” and seeks damages of up to $1.5 million.

Michaels did not respond to multiple emails from Lookout requesting comment, and he also did not respond to a phone message seeking comment.

Derek Larwick, the attorney representing Brooks in the lawsuit against her former attorney, in an email to Lookout declined to comment “beyond what is in the complaint.”