Can an associate attorney be sued personally, along with the law firm? FTF Lending, LLC v Mavrides, Moyal, Packman & Sadkin, LLP
2022 NY Slip Op 02946 [205 AD3d 414], May 3, 2022 Appellate Division, First Department gives a short lucid answer.
“Defendants do not dispute that the complaint, which asserts a cause of action for legal malpractice, sufficiently alleges that Weinberger, an associate attorney, acted negligently while performing legal services on behalf of defendant law firm. Thus, dismissal of the complaint as against Weinberger is not warranted under the Partnership Law (Partnership Law § 26 [c] [i]; see e.g. Scarborough v Napoli, Kaiser & Bern, LLP, 63 AD3d 1531, 1532 [4th Dept 2009]) or the common-law doctrine of respondeat superior (see Reliance Ins. Co. v Morris Assoc., 200 AD2d 728, 730 [2d Dept 1994]; Jones v Archibald, 45 AD2d 532, 535 [4th Dept 1974]; accord Restatement [Third] of Agency § 7.01)”