Judge OKs breakup of Barton law firm

LEHI (AP) — A judge has approved the dissolution of one of Utah's most widely recognized law firms after a family dispute.

Fourth District Judge Anthony W. Schofield on Tuesday approved a sale of 1,500 personal injury cases of the Lehi law firm of Gregory, Barton & Swapp P.C. to founding partner Buddy W. Gregory and managing attorney Craig Swapp. The law firm was renamed Gregory & Swapp PLLC.

Keith Barton, the former public face of the law firm's "One Call, That's All" slogan, opened his own law firm, Keith Barton and Associates, last week.

Barton was sued by his sister-in-law, Kim Brown, for allegedly not paying her for advertising services. Gregory, his father-in-law, also accused Barton of borrowing money against the firm's assets for personal use and called for Barton's removal from the firm.

Swapp said the firm Gregory and Swapp will continue to serve clients who have been involved in automobile crashes and Barton would be maintaining most of the mass tort or fen-phen clients.