TOPEKA – Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt announced Friday that a Florida business was recently banned from doing business in Kansas.

In a court order issued this month, Shawnee County District Court Judge Larry Hendricks barred a Florida company known as Advocate Claims LLC or Advocate Auto Consultants LLC from advertising, soliciting or selling any service, goods or property in Kansas. The company was also ordered to pay a $30,000 civil penalty. The judgment resolves a lawsuit filed by the Attorney General’s Office against the company alleging violations of the Kansas Consumer Protection Act.

“Out-of-state companies who wish to do business in Kansas must comply with the consumer protection laws of our state,” Schmidt said. “Our office continues to crack down on companies that engage in fraudulent activity and illegal business practices.”

The Attorney General’s Office alleged that the company engaged in the unlicensed practice of law and deceptive business practices. The company implied they were attorneys representing at least one Kansas consumer in connection with the consumer’s auto insurance claim. The company wrote several letters to a nationally recognized insurance company demanding payment for the Kansas consumer’s loss. In the letters, the company cited Kansas Supreme Court decisions and stated they “represented” the Kansas consumers in relation to the claim. The company does not employ any attorneys licensed to practice law in Kansas.