Spector sues former lawyer for $1 million

LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- Nearly five years after his arrest in the shooting death of actress Lana Clarkson, music producer Phil Spector is still trying to get a refund of a $1 million fee he paid to his first attorney, according to a lawsuit filed Wednesday.

The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, marks the second time that Spector has sued Robert Shapiro, claiming the famed attorney cheated him and used their personal relationship to enrich himself unjustly.

Spector alleges that Shapiro's work on the case was inadequate and may have led prosecutors to file formal charges against Spector.

A year after his arrest, Spector fired Shapiro and hired another legal team, which was subsequently replaced by the team that defended him in his murder trial this year. That trial ended with a jury deadlock, and Spector has recently hired yet another lawyer to defend him in a retrial next year.

Shapiro did not immediately return a call to his office Wednesday seeking comment.

Spector dropped the earlier suit in December 2005 with the provision that he could sue again at a later time.

The new lawsuit makes allegations similar to the first, claiming Shapiro "took unfair and unscrupulous advantage of his friendship and position of trust with Mr. Spector, and decided to use Mr. Spector's arrest as an opportunity to make a financial windfall and garner publicity for himself."

The suit also names Shapiro's law firm as a defendant, claiming they "stood behind and vouched for Shapiro's work."

Spector also alleged he was pressured into signing an "engagement letter" with Shapiro and the firm at a time when "he was laboring under a tremendous amount of mental stress that comes with being arrested for murder."

He also said he was under treatment for mental problems and had not been able to take his medication for several days when he signed the papers and paid Shapiro's retainer with a $1 million check.

At the time of the first lawsuit, Shapiro denied Spector's claims. In court documents, his attorneys argued that Shapiro did "impeccable" work and gave Spector "the best possible foundation to defend against his pending charges."

Shapiro's attorney contended that Spector tried to break his contract with Shapiro by trying to get back some of the retainer after switching lawyers. E-mail to a friend

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