Almost unheard of, Plaintiff was granted summary judgment on liability in this legal malpractice case.

Reem Contr. v Altschul & Altschul  2020 NY Slip Op 32301(U)  July 13, 2020  Supreme Court, New York County  Docket Number: 104202/2011  Judge: Kelly A. O’Neill Levy is the one-in-a-million where Plaintiff obtains a summary judgment order in a legal…

The continuous intertwining of legal malpractice and real estate in NYC cases is not merely coincidence.  It is a marriage of money and dispute resolution.  Community Assn. of the E. Harlem Triangle, Inc. v Butts  2020 NY Slip Op 32163(U)  June 29, 2020  Supreme Court, New York County  Docket Number: 656028/2018  Judge: Andrea Masley puts…

The situation is not unusual.  Attorneys represent client in a transnational setting, and the transaction is compromised, but not yet finished.  Three years are about to pass.  What is the plaintiff to do?  If you do not sue, the statute will pass.  if you do sue, defendant will say that it is too early.  Economic …

Spoliation of evidence is a certain basis for dismissal.  Negligently, or even worse, intentionally allowing key evidence to be lost or destroyed deprives the opponent of discoverable exculpatory evidence.  Such loss is rarely countenanced.

Manno v Hayes Law Practice, PLLC  2020 NY Slip Op 31228(U)  May 6, 2020  Supreme Court, Kings County  Docket Number: Index…

In a recurring theme, the “but for” element of legal malpractice is the place where battles are lost.  Rag & Bone Holdings LLC v Hand Baldachin & Assoc. LLP  2020 NY Slip Op 31149(U) May 2, 2020 Supreme Court, New York County Docket Number: Index No. 156994/2019  Judge: Andrea Masley is a fine example.  The…

The formulaic decision in Kahlon v DeSantis 2020 NY Slip Op 02464 Decided on April 29, 2020 Appellate Division, Second Department comes with a recitation of the standard of a CPLR 3211(a)(7) motion, and a theoretical discussion of the requirement of “but for” causation.  There is no guidance to the bar in how the alleged…

With a serious injury, and with the best of intentions, Plaintiff hires a well regarded law firm to obtain compensation.  The law firm sues an incorrect governmental entity, in this case the City of New York rather than the U.S.  Is this legal malpractice?  To answer this question we revert to the four elements of…