The law firm representing the shuttered Oak Park, Ill.-based West Suburban Medical Center’s parent company, Resilience Healthcare, on July 6 filed a motion to withdraw its counsel, according to court documents obtained by Becker’s.
Momkus LLP’s motion pointed to “fundamental disagreements” between the law firm and Resilience. The firm had represented Resilience’s West Suburban Medical Center, now-shuttered Chicago-based Weiss Memorial Hospital, Lakefront Medical Associates and Westlawn Management Group.
“Resilience and its prior attorney had disagreements about approach to the settlement process and parted ways,” a spokesperson for Resilience said in a July 6 statement shared with Becker’s. “At the same time, Resilience retained Howard Brookins to represent it in these matters. McDonald Hopkins continues to represent [Resilience Healthcare CEO Manoj Prasad, MD, PhD] personally.”
West Suburban, which closed June 11 after its final functional elevator broke down, shared plans in early July to lay off about 500 furloughed employees, effective Aug. 31. However, Resilience remains committed to reopening the facility and avoiding the layoffs, a spokesperson told Becker’s on July 1.
Resilience Healthcare and Ramco Healthcare Holdings, the landlord of both West Suburban and Weiss Memorial Hospital, and have been in legal disputes for months over who holds blame for the hospitals’ financial challenges and closures.
Resilience consented to the withdrawal, with Momkus also agreeing to “cooperate fully” in the transition to a substitute counsel.
Becker’s has reached out to Ramco Healthcare Holdings for comment and will update this story should more information become available.
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