Even though the AD expressed “concerns” about the attorney’s representation of Plaintiff, all causes of action were dismissed on statute of limitations grounds.  The claim that Plaintiff was disabled or insane was summarily denied in Jemima O. v Schwartzapfel, P.C.  2019 NY Slip Op 08793 Decided on December 10, 2019 Appellate Division, First Department.

“The motion court correctly found that plaintiff’s causes of action for legal malpractice, violation of Judiciary Law § 487, negligent misrepresentation and negligent infliction of emotional distress were time-barred as they accrued on September 10, 2013, at the latest, and plaintiff did not commence the instant action until May 31, 2017, over eight months after the applicable three-year statute of limitations had already expired (see CPLR 214; Benjamin v Allstate Ins. Co., 127 AD3d 1120, 1121 [2d Dept 2015]; Colon v Banco Popular N. Am., 59 AD3d 300, 300 [1st Dept 2009]).

Plaintiff’s claim for breach of fiduciary duty was also properly dismissed as untimely pursuant to the applicable three-year statute of limitations because plaintiff sought only money damages and not equitable relief (see Kaufman v Cohen, 307 AD2d 113, 118 [1st Dept 2003]).

Plaintiff’s argument that the statute of limitations was tolled by reason of disability or insanity pursuant to CPLR 208 was properly rejected by the motion court, without a hearing. Plaintiff failed to put forth any evidence that would support a finding of disability or insanity sufficient to show that plaintiff was unable to function in society (see Santo B. v Roman Catholic Archdiocese of N.Y., 51 AD3d 956, 958 [2d Dept 2008]). In particular, she did not submit any doctors’ affidavits or medical records documenting the severity of her condition (see Matter of Brigade v Olatoye, 167 AD3d 462 [1st Dept 2018]; Santana v Union Hosp. of Bronx, 300 AD2d 56 [1st Dept 2002]). Moreover, the record does not show that plaintiff was incapable of protecting her legal rights despite her mental health diagnosis (see Burgos v City of New York, 294 AD2d 177, 178 [1st Dept 2002]). Although we have some concerns about the actions of plaintiff’s prior counsel, this does not alter the conclusion that this action is time-barred.

The complaint fails to state a cause of action for either negligent misrepresentation or negligent infliction of emotional distress on behalf of the children. There is no allegation that defendants made any representation to the children or that defendants engaged in any extreme and outrageous conduct (see Hernandez v Central Parking Sys. of N.Y., Inc., 63 AD3d 411 [1st Dept 2009]).

The motion court correctly found that the complaint fails to state a cause of action for fraudulent misrepresentation because plaintiff’s claimed losses resulted from defendants’ unauthorized withdrawal of her appeal and not from their purported false statements as to their [*2]ability to handle administrative proceedings (see Friedman v Anderson, 23 AD3d 163, 167 [1st Dept 2005].

Because plaintiff has put forth no specific argument on appeal as to her cause of action for intentional infliction of emotional distress, such claim is deemed abandoned.”

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Andrew Lavoott Bluestone

Andrew Lavoott Bluestone has been an attorney for 40 years, with a career that spans criminal prosecution, civil litigation and appellate litigation. Mr. Bluestone became an Assistant District Attorney in Kings County in 1978, entered private practice in 1984 and in 1989 opened…

Andrew Lavoott Bluestone has been an attorney for 40 years, with a career that spans criminal prosecution, civil litigation and appellate litigation. Mr. Bluestone became an Assistant District Attorney in Kings County in 1978, entered private practice in 1984 and in 1989 opened his private law office and took his first legal malpractice case.

Since 1989, Bluestone has become a leader in the New York Plaintiff’s Legal Malpractice bar, handling a wide array of plaintiff’s legal malpractice cases arising from catastrophic personal injury, contracts, patents, commercial litigation, securities, matrimonial and custody issues, medical malpractice, insurance, product liability, real estate, landlord-tenant, foreclosures and has defended attorneys in a limited number of legal malpractice cases.

Bluestone also took an academic role in field, publishing the New York Attorney Malpractice Report from 2002-2004.  He started the “New York Attorney Malpractice Blog” in 2004, where he has published more than 4500 entries.

Mr. Bluestone has written 38 scholarly peer-reviewed articles concerning legal malpractice, many in the Outside Counsel column of the New York Law Journal. He has appeared as an Expert witness in multiple legal malpractice litigations.

Mr. Bluestone is an adjunct professor of law at St. John’s University College of Law, teaching Legal Malpractice.  Mr. Bluestone has argued legal malpractice cases in the Second Circuit, in the New York State Court of Appeals, each of the four New York Appellate Divisions, in all four of  the U.S. District Courts of New York and in Supreme Courts all over the state.  He has also been admitted pro haec vice in the states of Connecticut, New Jersey and Florida and was formally admitted to the US District Court of Connecticut and to its Bankruptcy Court all for legal malpractice matters. He has been retained by U.S. Trustees in legal malpractice cases from Bankruptcy Courts, and has represented municipalities, insurance companies, hedge funds, communications companies and international manufacturing firms. Mr. Bluestone regularly lectures in CLEs on legal malpractice.

Based upon his professional experience Bluestone was named a Diplomate and was Board Certified by the American Board of Professional Liability Attorneys in 2008 in Legal Malpractice. He remains Board Certified.  He was admitted to The Best Lawyers in America from 2012-2019.  He has been featured in Who’s Who in Law since 1993.

In the last years, Mr. Bluestone has been featured for two particularly noteworthy legal malpractice cases.  The first was a settlement of an $11.9 million dollar default legal malpractice case of Yeo v. Kasowitz, Benson, Torres & Friedman which was reported in the NYLJ on August 15, 2016. Most recently, Mr. Bluestone obtained a rare plaintiff’s verdict in a legal malpractice case on behalf of the City of White Plains v. Joseph Maria, reported in the NYLJ on February 14, 2017. It was the sole legal malpractice jury verdict in the State of New York for 2017.

Bluestone has been at the forefront of the development of legal malpractice principles and has contributed case law decisions, writing and lecturing which have been recognized by his peers.  He is regularly mentioned in academic writing, and his past cases are often cited in current legal malpractice decisions. He is recognized for his ample writings on Judiciary Law § 487, a 850 year old statute deriving from England which relates to attorney deceit.