PROVO — Utah's largest personal-injury law firm insists it hasn't split up — yet.
But the firm, known for its "one call, that's all" tagline, is already positioning itself for life after Keith Barton.
Barton, the public face of Gregory, Barton and Swapp, has been accused in court documents of borrowing money against the firm's assets for personal use.
Now the firm is in the midst of divorce. A receiver was recently appointed to help Barton and Buddy Gregory, each 50 percent partners in the Lehi-based firm, liquidate their corporation and ensure the firm's estimated 5,500 clients continue to be represented adequately.
While negotiations on the future of the firm continue behind closed doors, it appears from television advertisements that Barton and Gregory, his father-in-law, have already gone their separate ways.
In one ad, Gregory, Craig Swapp and other lawyers at the firm use the "one call, that's all" tag line while Barton is conspicuously absent.
In another ad, Barton promises to get clients a bigger settlement check than other personal-injury attorneys can deliver. He does not use the "one call, that's all" slogan, however.
Kim Brown, who handles advertising for the firm, said the first ad is new and was created to educate the public that the firm is bigger than just Keith Barton. Brown is Gregory's daughter and has sued Barton for failing to pay her $750,000 in advertising fees.
She said the firm is running both ads to create an image of stability.
"But in my opinion, it just creates more confusion," she said. "And the calls have come down a bit."
Brown said negotiations are ongoing over who will get the "one call, that's all" tagline, and she said there is some dispute over who has rights to the slogan.
But Brown said the slogan may not have the value it once did because of the negative press Barton's alleged debt has created for the firm.
"It's in all the headlines and may have a negative connotation now," she said.
She said she will ask a focus group later this month what they think of the slogan to decide whether the firm will continue using it.
Competing firms are watching the struggles of Gregory, Barton and Swapp with interest.
"I think they're still plodding along at full steam, putting out ads. At the moment, I see no effect, there's no big change," said one attorney who asked not to be named. "But I don't think it's over yet."
E-mail: jhyde@desnews.com