We’re proud to present our “Judiciary Law § 487 Suffers an Earthquake” article from today’s New York Law Journal. It discusses the recent sweep of JL § 487 law, including Bounkhoun v. Barnes et al., Case No. 15-cv-631A, which now awaits a decision by District Judge Joseph Arcara whether to accept the recommendation.
A recent Judiciary Law §487 case in the Western District of New York has violently shaken the basic understanding of the elements of this common-law cause of action. We predict a Second Circuit case, and potentially a Certified Question to the New York Court of Appeals. Here are the particulars.
Attorneys are interlaced throughout our country and world. In the United States litigation is rampant, all-encompassing and shot through with discontent. Clients are looking for superior work and fair pricing. Attorneys are interested in getting work, succeeding at that work and being paid. It is both obvious and simple to say that the two sets of desires do not always mesh.
When expectations are not met, there are a series of well-trodden paths down which the clients and the attorneys move. Legal malpractice claims are mirrored in attorney fee law suits. There is a symmetry to it all, from a perspective far enough above the fray to have a clear picture of the whole scene.