Here is a reprint from the SW Virginia law Blog. It recites a bar association resolution, which cites a study showing that 60% of Va’s attorneys carry insurance. Details.
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 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.
The Gay Community and Legal Malpractice
A rare confluence of the question of Gay rights, legal malpractice and politics have come together in the Ohio Attorney General race. Candidate Dann is accused of legal malpractice as well as allowing a person to serve time for a “non-existent” crime of importuning gay sex. See the details.
California Decision on Limitation for Legal Malpractice
The California Supreme Court “agreed to decide whether the tolling of the statute of limitations for a malpractice action against a law firm continues after the responsible lawyer leaves the firm if he or she continues to represent the client.”
“The Court of Appeal for this district, Div. Two, answered that question in the affirmative…
N.C. Legal Malpractice Case Settled
Cabarras County, NC has settled a legal malpractice case with its attorneys Hartsell & Williams. Details. The suit arose out of H&W’s faiure to appear at an administrative hearing in which they were defending the County against a discrimination action.
Can’t call it Legal Malpractice, so Call it Abandonment
Bruce Cutler, doyen of the criminal bar, graduate of the Homicide Bureau of the Kings DA’s office, movie actor, pundit. By definition, after a guilty verdict, he cannot commit legal malpractice. His client Louis Eppolito says that he was displeased with Cutler’s representation of him, and that Cutler abandoned Eppolito, in not allowing E to…
Law Com Blogs comments on the Proskauer Case
Carolyn Elefant writes today about the Proskauer case we discussed yesterday. Her point? Conflicts of interest will continue to be a big part of the legal malpractice area. Details.
Illinois Gravel Pit Legal Malpractice Case on Hold
In Peoria gravel is a big business. This legal malpractice case stems from advice on whether or not a special use permit was required. EBT testimony was put on hold while a motion to dismiss was being decided. Details.
DLJ Piper Legal Malpractice Case transferred to CT.
An “intertwined” legal malpractice – bankrutpcy case was transferred to CT. Details.
Proskauer Legal Malpractice Lawsuit in Florida
This story is about the personalities in this Legal Malpractice case in Florida. Proskauer Rose is being sued by unhappy investors with fiduciary breach claims. Plaintiffs are represented by celebrity lawyer John “Jack” Scarola who recently and successfully represented Ron Perelman in legal malpractice. Details from the NYJL by Anthony Lin
Legal Malpractice Leads to Contempt Prosecution Request by Federal Judge
We recently reported on the David Dorfman mess. Now his legal malpractice and other troubles have moved to an entirely different plane. Fed. Judge Cote has asked the US attorney to bring a criminal contempt proceeding against him. See the details in this NYLJ article by Tom Perrota. Details.