In this case, plaintiff counterclaimed for legal malpractice in the face of a claim for attorney fees.  Hass & Gottlieb v Sook Hi Lee ,2008 NY Slip Op 08015 ,Appellate Division, First Department

While not specifically stated, it appears that there were procedural bumps along the way.  Not filing for a jury trial, defendant was not permitted to ask for one later.  More intreguing is the AD’s statement:  "The court was within its discretion in refusing to recuse itself. The judge’s remarks complained of were not ad hominem attacks, but observations of defendant’s credibility and conduct in three related cases."

"Even if plaintiff, in this action for attorney’s fees, had been negligent and responsible for defendant failing to obtain a ruling fixing the effective date of her interest in a closely held corporation, defendant failed to show that she suffered any actual harm as a result (IGEN, Inc. v White, 250 AD2d 463 [1998], lv denied 92 NY2d 818 [1998]). There was no evidence of dividends paid out that defendant was unable to collect. Furthermore, in the six years since the underlying judgment, defendant took no steps to bring additional proceedings to cure the alleged defect, so her claims of damages for extra expenses and costs were purely speculative. Similarly, defendant failed to raise any grounds for challenging the trial court’s dismissal, following a six-day nonjury trial, of her claim for the return of documents. "Continue Reading Plaintiff Loses Both Ends of A Legal Malpractice Case

Besides the garden or varietal political questions over whom should be president, and even the more interesting question of whether a person who was born in a territory rather than a state is eligible to become president [Hawaii  became the 50th state in 1959 and Obama was born in 1961, McCain was born at the Coco…

The elements of legal malpractice are well settled, as the Appellate Divisions write.  One of the triumvirate is proximate cause.  We’ve written in the past about the difference between "the" proximate cause and "a" proximate cause, see: Barnett v. Schwartz, 47 AD3d 197 (2d Dept,20070

Here is a case  Silberman v Reisman, Abramson, …

New York, being in the northeast , has a rich history of snow & ice cases.  A whole series of rules have arisen which accompany and inform the law of accidents on snow & ice.  As one example, the precipitation must have already ended for a case to be viable. The difference between misfeasance and nonfeasance also applies.  Here…

Court calendaring…being in court on all assigned conferences, motions, hearings, appearances , is the most frequent source of legal malpractice cases.  Right behind are the late filings, blown statutes, and missed deadlines for documents. 

Here, a big law managing clerk discusses a calendar system for a world wide law firm.  Its hard to believe…

In this Court of Appeals Decision Judge Smith goes as far back as Judge Cardozo to discuss the basics in this legal malpractice case.  As a digression, Justice Benjamin Cardozo, who served both on the New York Court of Appeals and the US Supreme Court was fascinating.  "Born in New York City to Albert and…

Judiciary Law 487 is a statute which defines a misdemeanor and creates a private cause of action, with treble damages,
 

§487. Misconduct by attorneys.

An attorney or counselor who:

1. Is guilty of any deceit or collusion, or consents to any
deceit or collusion, with intent to deceive the court or any party; or,…

Sometimes things go from bad to worse, and then decend even further in legal malpractice litigation.  Here is an example.  Plaintiff was injured, went to attorney 1 who settled the case without asking plaintiff, then went to attorney 2, then sued attorney 1 and 2.

"Sturgill, 46, was fishing with a co-worker from the Maryland…