NEW ORLEANS – The U.S. government filed a lawsuit in federal court this month, seeking to evict a Louisiana law firm after it stopped making lease payments.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in New Orleans filed the lawsuit August 8 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana.
The named defendants include the Law Office of James A. Graham LLC, Graham Law & Associates LLC, and James A. Graham.
Graham Law formed on Oct. 1, 2024, according to the filing. The government contends, because it may also be operating out of the leased property, that it is either trespassing or considered an assignee to the lease, which also makes it bound to the lease’s terms.
“The Law Firm and Graham have been willfully holding over possession of the real property since February 3, 2025, when the United States declared the lessee in default, and demanded possession and payment,” the eight-page complaint states. “The Law Firm and Graham have not vacated the premises and have not left the premises in broom-clean condition.
“The United States is entitled to reimbursement of the costs that will be incurred to remove all personal property from the premises and to restore the premises, and it is further entitled to reimbursement for any damages that may not be known until the property is vacated.”
The government seeks to obtain “immediate possession” of its property – Suites 401, 402, 403A, and 403B of 701 Loyola Ave., New Orleans – and to recover past-due rents, penalties, and associated costs.
The plaintiff, through the U.S. Postal Service, entered into a lease agreement with the Law Office of James A. Graham on May 21, 2021. The U.S. agreed to lease Suites 401, 403A, and 403B to the law office from June 1, 2021 through May 31, 2024.
On July 1, 2021, the U.S., through the USPS, agreed to amend the lease to add Suite 402 to the agreement. The lease amendment increased the monthly rental rate to $3,284 to account for the additional square footage, according to the filing.
The law office had previously paid the USPS a security deposit of $1,747.92 under a prior lease agreement. The USPS agreed to carry over that security deposit, which would be returned if, among other things, the office did not default.
According to the complaint, the lease agreement requires the law office to submit monthly payments, at the listed rates, by the first of each month. The agreement also states if the rent is paid more than 10 days late, the lessee shall pay a late fee of 10 percent of the amount of such payment for each and every instance that rent is not paid on the rent due date.
The filing states the agreement provides that the law office is in default if it fails to make rental payments and does not cure the non-payment within 10 days of written notice by the USPS.
Also, the lease agreement states that the USPS has the right to terminate and reclaim the property at no cost or liability to the USPS by providing the law office with 30 days written notice.
Upon termination, according to the agreement, the lessee must vacate the premises, remove its personal property, and have the property cleaned. If the law office fails to do so, the government may remove and dispose of any remaining items under the lease agreement – without any liability – and it will be reimbursed for the associated costs.
According to the complaint, the law office only made two payments since Feb. 1, 2022: in May 2024, it paid the USPS $40,000; in September 2024, it paid the USPS $10,000.
On Feb. 3, 2025, the USPS sent a certified letter to the law office notifying it that the lease was terminated on May 31, 2024 and it must vacate the premises immediately.
The letter further demanded immediate payment of $72,436, the amount of rent that was past due at the time, and advised that the government would initiate an action for eviction and recovery of money owed, if necessary.
“The Law Office did not vacate the premises, and it, along with its member and CEO, James A. Graham, continue to occupy the premises,” the filing states. “The Law Office has made no additional payments.
“The Law Office remains indebted for past rent, penalties, interest, and administrative fees in the amount of $97,721.60 that have accrued through August 5, 2025.”
The government seeks judgment for immediate possession of the New Orleans suites, for immediate authority to enter and secure the properties, and an order authorizing the U.S. Marshall to “forcibly evict” Graham Law & Associates.
It also seeks judgment in the amount of at least $97,721.60 for unpaid rent, interest, penalties, and administrative fees that have accrued, plus all rents, interest, penalties, and administrative fees that accrue subsequent to the lawsuit’s filing and remain unpaid to date.
The government also seeks damages and costs resulting from the removal of all personal property and for any required restoration.
