Law firm Jones Day sues private equity firm, alleging $9.6 million in unpaid fees

By Mike Scarcella

WASHINGTON, Feb 4 (Reuters) - Global law firm Jones Day has sued private-equity firm Centre Lane Partners and dozens of its portfolio companies in New York state court, accusing them of failing to pay more than $9.6 million in legal fees.

Jones Day said Centre Lane had reliably paid invoices for years but abruptly stopped doing so in 2024 leaving a growing stack of unpaid bills, according to the lawsuit filed on Tuesday.

The law firm said it served as Centre Lane’s outside counsel beginning in 2018, handling an expanding range of litigation, financings, acquisitions, government investigations and other legal matters.

The lawsuit names several Centre Lane portfolio companies as defendants, including glassware manufacturer Anchor Hocking and kitchen products maker Corelle Brands.

Representatives for Jones Day, Centre Lane and Corelle did not immediately respond to requests for comment. An Anchor Hocking spokesperson declined to comment.

Jones Day, with more than 2,500 lawyers in 40 offices, is among the most profitable U.S. law firms. New York-based Centre Lane, founded in 2007, invests in the equity and debt of middle‑market companies.

Jones Day said it continued working for Centre Lane because firm leaders promised that legal fee payments were on the way. The firm said it “provided millions of dollars in additional legal services on the basis of those knowingly false representations,” according to the lawsuit.

More than half of the unpaid total relates to Jones Day’s work defending Centre Lane and one of its companies in a high-profile fight over a glass plant closure in Pennsylvania and a related investigation by the Federal Trade Commission, according to the lawsuit. The Pennsylvania attorney general's federal antitrust lawsuit over the glass plant is still pending.

The firm said it began formally withdrawing from its representation of Centre Lane and its portfolio companies in court matters last month. Lawyers from Greenberg Traurig recently were brought on to represent Centre Lane and affiliated companies in the Pennsylvania antitrust case.

The case is Jones Day v. Centre Lane Partners LLC et al., New York Supreme Court, unassigned.

For plaintiff: James Jones and Rebekah Blake of Jones Day

For defendants: No appearances yet