Judge grants Cavner permission to proceed with countersuit

U.S. District Judge Beth Phillips on Monday granted Nadia Cavner permission to proceed with her claims in a countersuit against Overland Park, Kan.-based Lawing Financial Inc., which bought her financial advisory firm last year.

Filed Aug. 5, the countersuit required a judge’s approval because it came more than 14 days after Cavner responded to Lawing Financial’s suit against her. Lawing’s original lawsuit was filed April 15, and Cavner responded June 8, according to court records.

In its suit, Lawing Financial alleged Cavner overvalued Nadia Cavner Group by $160 million and interfered with Lawing Financial’s business operations by assisting former clients after she lost her ability to sell securities last year.

“I instructed my attorneys to file these claims because I believe it is important to stand up to this type of legal bullying,” Cavner said in a statement provided Monday to Springfield Business Journal. Court documents list Cavner’s attorneys as White, Graham, Buckley & Carr LLC and the Klamann Law Firm PA.

In her countersuit filed earlier this month, Cavner alleged Lawing Financial engaged in a media campaign to defame her and avoid payment owed for the purchase of her firm.

Lawing Financial has until Aug. 31 to respond to her countersuit, according to court documents.

Lawing Financial’s breach of contract suit on April 15 asks the court to return the $1 million already paid toward the 2014 purchase of Nadia Cavner Group and to free the firm from its additional $2 million debt owed. The $3 million deal scheduled payments to Cavner for the next four years, and a $250,000 installment was due at midyear.