Platt & Westby, P.C.

I truly and immensely regret hiring Platt & Westby. Let me tell you why. I initially spoke with Mr.Peter Westby, who was kind, knowledgeable, and generous with his time while I was dealing with a difficult landlord claiming damages we denied causing. We exchanged over dozens of emails and not a single charge. Those exchanges gave me confidence in the firm, and I hired them expecting him to handle the matter. I signed and paid the $2500 deposit on August 3 - thinking I was saved!! On August 5, I was told Peter had retired on July 31 and my case was assigned to Andrew Rahtz, associate attorney Abelardo “Abe” Mea-Rodriguez, and a paralegal. That would have been useful information before I signed and paid. From there, I felt like I was paying to supervise my own legal representation. I repeatedly questioned the strategy, flagged constant inconsistencies in the landlord’s accounting, and requested clearer wording about our position. I even had to point out “wew will” and “failure to timely response” in a draft they sent me. At $345 an hour for Abe’s time, I expected basic proofreading much!!! They also sent a negotiation letter without an intended evidence attachment. Srsly?! I caught that mistake myself. Abe later acknowledged in writing that it was their mistake and should have been attached when the letter was sent. They corrected it without charging me, but I should not have needed to catch it for the rate of $365. Here is the fun part. The bills reached $5700 rounded up for the demand-letter and negotiation stage. Just two letter were sent out and that is the price for two sloppy demand letters. One entry charged $142.50 for reviewing my concerns about their negotiation approach, responding, and directing staff to arrange a call. Apparently, being unhappy with the service comes with its own bill haha. I ended the representation on September 22 because I had lost confidence immensely. I hired attorneys to take work and stress off my plate. Instead, I felt I was spending my time and money pushing them to address points I expected them to identify themselves. Then came the billing mess. Their billing administrator explicitly told me my $1486.96 balance would be charged to my card on September 17 even thought I had received a confirmation email that it was billed already. Guess what? The October statement still carried that balance as unpaid and added interest. I have asked them to explain what happened and again here I am - catching their mistakes again. So here is my advice: Before signing with this firm, confirm exactly who will handle your case. The confidence I felt speaking with Peter did not carry over to the service I received. Thousands of dollars later, I was frustrated, disappointed, and pulling my hair out. I would not hire them again.

Im a Realtor and just called to try to make an appointment with an attorney. The person that answered the phone was very rude. Horrible way to speak to someone inquiring their services! “We’re booked, no slots open.” That’s it. Definitely won’t be calling this company again.

A Nice Experience
I took advantage of the complimentary consultation they offer for a case that had been worrying me. The attorney I spoke with was incredibly kind, professional, and honest. He clearly explained that my situation did not require litigation, which gave me tremendous peace of mind.
Unlike other law firms I’ve dealt with in the past—where they start charging before you’ve even finished explaining your case—this experience was completely different. I highly recommend them and would not hesitate to contact them again.

Fantastic business law firm that I'd highly recommend. I had a consultation with Peter Westby and was so impressed with how thorough and knowledgable he was in helping with the business matters needed. I look forward to working with Mr. Westby further and have all the confidence that he is the best lawyer in this space. Thank you, Platt & Westby!

My fiancé and I reached out for some advice on a real estate matter. We spoke with Peter Westby and were impressed with his willingness to help and steer us in the right direction. What may surprise you is that the direction was to not use their services. He did not push us towards legal action and instead offered suggestions on how to avoid so as to not waste our time and money. His time and transparency was very much appreciated and would recommend his company to anyone seeking advice and representation. It's nice to know that someone in his position in that industry is really looking out for their client's (or potential client's) best interest. If we do need assistance in the future I would not hesitate to go back to his firm.