We have long observed that legal malpractice defendants, who must act according to rules devised by attorneys, and are judged by attorneys, enjoy a greater latitude in professional malpractice litigation than, say, doctors, accountants and other professionals. Though essentially anecdotal, the evidence is compelling.  That said, Bei Yang v Pagan Law Firm, P.C.
2022 NY Slip Op 22130 [75 Misc 3d 757]  April 25, 2022 Kraus, J. Supreme Court, New York Count seems to us to be compelling evidence.  There, violations of disciplinary rules were found, yet summary judgment granted against plaintiff.

“In this action and in her pleadings, plaintiff originally alleged many aspects of defendants’ representation in the prosecution of the personal injury case constituted malpractice. In opposition to defendants’ motion, plaintiff has essentially narrowed her allegations to a single claim, that defendants forced her to settle the case by pressuring her, threatening to withdraw as her attorneys if the case did not settle and demanding that she front $30,000 in trial costs in [*4]order to move ahead with the trial. Plaintiff asserts these actions essentially forced her to accept the settlement, because she was unable to find new counsel so late in the litigation, and she felt it was clear defendants did not want to proceed to trial.

Defendants have failed to submit affidavits on the motion denying these claims of coercion. Defendants submit an expert affirmation from Michael Zuller, Esq., that incorrectly alleges that there is no claim or allegation that plaintiff was coerced into accepting the settlement offer. Mr. Zuller opines that defendants did not depart from the applicable standard of care in prosecuting the underlying action, and that plaintiff cannot show the “but for” proximate causation element in establishing actual non-speculative damages. Mr. Zuller further opines that the underlying action would have been risky to try and cites that a significant percentage of medical malpractice trials result in a defense verdict.

Plaintiff’s unopposed allegations regarding the coerced settlement, including the threat by defendants to withdraw from representation and the demand that plaintiff front trial{**75 Misc 3d at 762} costs in contravention of the parties’ retainer agreement, do indeed suggest ethical breaches on the part of defendants.

However, the violation of a disciplinary rule or ethical obligations does not, without more, generate a cause of action for legal malpractice (Guiles v Simser, 35 AD3d 1054, 1056 [2006]; Weintraub v Phillips, Nizer, Benjamin, Krim, & Ballon, 172 AD2d 254 [1991]). To succeed on her legal malpractice claim, plaintiff would be required to prove that defendants were negligent in their legal representation, that their negligence was a proximate cause of her loss and that she sustained actual and ascertainable damages (see Ehlinger v Ruberti, Girvin & Ferlazzo, 304 AD2d 925, 926 [2003]).

Plaintiff’s own expert does not dispute Mr. Zuller’s opinion that the action would be risky to try and that a trial may have resulted in a defense verdict or a verdict lower than the settlement amount. In his affirmation, Mr. Bower states:

“As such, the issue is not whether the settlement was adequate or reasonable, a fair amount or not, but simply whether the client’s assent was properly obtained. Whether accepting the offer was wise or foolish, and whether the settlement amount is fair or not, is entirely besides the point. In this case, the client’s consent was not voluntarily or freely given. Her assent was only obtained ‘under the gun.’ . . .

“Predictably, the defense contends that the settlement amount herein was very favorable to the plaintiff, perhaps more than would be recovered at trial, and certainly more than if the trial went badly. All of that may be true, but all of that is totally irrelevant, nonetheless. The wisdom of the client’s choice is not the legal test that matters herein. All that matters is whether the consent to settle was freely given. If freely given, the settlement is valid and binding, regardless of the amount. If not freely given, the settlement was improperly obtained, regardless of the amount.” (Emphasis added.)

While the issue of whether plaintiff would have received a greater amount of money if she went to trial may be “irrelevant” to ethical considerations, it is not irrelevant to the pending malpractice claim. The concession of plaintiff’s own expert that it is possible that plaintiff would not have recovered more money or even that plaintiff may have recovered less money if{**75 Misc 3d at 763} she proceeded to trial underscores that plaintiff will be unable at trial to establish that but for the settlement a trial would have resulted in a verdict in excess of 1.3 million dollars. (See e.g. Gallet, Dreyer & Berkey, LLP v Basile, 141 AD3d 405 [2016] [holding summary judgment dismissing [*5]the legal malpractice claim appropriately granted where the asserted damages are vague, unclear, or speculative]; Bellinson Law, LLC v Iannucci, 102 AD3d 563 [1st Dept 2013].)

While plaintiff cites to cases where a legal malpractice claim was held viable despite a settlement in the underlying action (Cohen v Lipsig, 92 AD2d 536 [2d Dept 1983]; Lattimore v Bergman, 224 AD2d 497 [2d Dept 1996]; Mazzei v Pokorny, Schrenzel & Pokorny, 125 AD2d 374 [1986]), these cases are distinguishable as none relate to a claim where the attorneys pressured a client to enter into a settlement; rather the cases cited involve circumstances where the settlement was required due to an error committed by counsel in their representation in the underlying action.

Thus even if the ethical breach alleged constituted malpractice, the inability of plaintiff to establish actual and ascertainable damages requires dismissal of the action.”