With your fake lawsuit filing at the State level only allows you to attempt to collect in that state only. You have to go through each state you are trying to collect in.
But the smartest option is file a Securities Fraud lawsuit in Federal Court. It doesn't have to be a Class Action Lawsuit to file in Federal Court. To file in Federal Court it would have to be Securities Fraud.
So you want everyone to believe all of these months the law firm has been working without paying.
A retainer is normally deposited in a escrow account and the Attorney draws it down for expenses etc.