Debt relief attorneys sued

A handful of law firms, two with Orange County ties, allegedly charged tens of millions of dollars in illegal fees to consumers seeking debt relief, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau contends in a federal lawsuit. Named in the lawsuit are Howard Law in Anaheim, Williamson & Howard in Irvine, and the Williamson Law Firm, along with attorneys Vincent Howard and Lawrence Williamson and Morgan Drexen Inc., all of which ran debt relief operations.