Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, May 28, 1994 TAG: 9405300012
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: By KATHY LOAN STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG LENGTH: Medium
The station owners, M.E. McMurray Inc., filed a $2 million lawsuit last month, alleging that Don Irons and his law firm were negligent in representing the funeral home owners in a lawsuit against the station because Irons had been retained earlier by McMurray as legal counsel in purchasing the station from Exxon.
Irons, in papers filed this week in Montgomery County Circuit Court, denies being retained to represent McMurray Inc. or providing advice on the purchase of the Blacksburg Exxon Servicenter other than to suggest McMurray not go forward with the purchase.
William and June McCoy filed suit against Exxon and McMurray Inc. last year, asking for up to $13 million for what they said were damages caused by petroleum products leaking from underground storage tanks into their business and residential property.
Mac and Mike McMurray, who took over the station from Exxon in September 1992, allege that the filing came days before its corporation was to obtain permanent financing for the purchase. The McCoys' suit, they allege, undermined their ability to obtain the necessary financing. The McMurrays contend Irons and his law firm were negligent in continuing to represent them and in receiving confidential information from them that was then used to prepare for the McCoys' suit.
But Irons, through his attorney Stan Barnhill of Woods Rogers & Hazlegrove of Roanoke, denies his firm agreed to represent McMurray on the purchase of the station. Instead, Irons' duty "consisted solely of assisting McMurray to arrange temporary financing for the purchase."
When Irons assisted McMurray with obtaining temporary financing, he had no knowledge that the McCoys would bring suit against McMurray, according to Irons' response.
by CNB