“The bankruptcy trustee for former clients of Dallas’ Godwin Gruber has filed a professional negligence and breach of fiduciary duties suit against the firm and two former shareholders, alleging the defendants mishandled a patent infringement case.

The original petition names the firm — now known as Godwin Pappas Langley Ronquillo — and former shareholders Arthur Navarro, now of the Navarro Law Office in Irving, Texas, and Michael K. Hurst, now a partner in Gruber Hurst Johansen Hail in Dallas.

In the petition in Robert Yaquinto Jr., as the Trustee of the Bankruptcy Estate of Renato Specialty Products Inc. and as the Trustee of the Bankruptcy Estate of Renato S. Riccio v. Godwin Gruber LLP, Now Known as Godwin Pappas Langley Ronquillo LLP, et al., filed on Aug. 24 in state court in Dallas, the plaintiffs allege the defendants failed to present “competent” evidence against a motion for summary judgment filed by the opposing side in the underlying infringement suit, and failed to prosecute the suit `with the degree of skill, care and knowledge required of a reasonably prudent and competent attorney.'”

Entire details.

We get this from the Internet and Class Action Blog.

“A $19 million class action lawsuit has been filed against DLA Piper Rudnick Gray Cary LLP (as successor in interest to Piper Marbury Rudnick & Wolfe, LLP). The lawsuit alleges that the defendant law firm committed professional negligence and legal malpractice in drafting documents relating to a merger between two companies, 21st Century Telecom and RCN Corporation. The putative class is comprised of shareholders of 21st Century Telecom. The lawsuit, which is filed in Cook County, Illinois, is entitled Edward T. Joyce, individually and on behalf of similarly situated stockholders of 21st Century Telecom Group, Inc. v. DLA Piper Rudnick Gray Cary LLP, 2006L9189.

The full story.

We credit Illinois Legal Malpractice Blog with this story on an Illinois legal malpractice case which gives the Illinois rule on Collectablibity and Strategy defenses there – both affirmative defenses. The story.

“A Dunbar woman is accusing Barton Law Office of misappropriating funds from her dead mother’s estate.

Karen Richardson, acting as Executrix of the Estate of Freeda Pringle, says Jeffrey Barton and Barton Law Office stole at least $25,000 from Pringle’s estate and lost her case file in a lawsuit filed July 27 in Kanawha Circuit Court.”

“Barton is alleged to have been negligent and careless by: Failing to provide the minimum standard of care, failing to act with a degree of competence, failing to adequately advise a client, failing to provide adequate accounting, excessive billing, misappropriating funds, overcharging the estate, losing the file and failing to protect the file.
Full Details

No matter how many computer or digital improvements there are, each eventually becomes immeshed in the web of success and mistake, adequate and inadequate representation and legal malpractice. When there is a winner and a loser, the lose will eventually look at legal malpractice. Was it malpractice or simply a bad outcome? Therein lies the most difficult question of all. Here are the details from the article.

When does a Statute of Limitations start to run on a pre-nuptual agreement in Minn? This court ruled that it started on the marriage date, not the date of dissolution. Details.

We had no idea that there was a Mandatory legal malpractice insurance fee anywhere. Read about comparative costs, especially in Oregon.

This is a short report of a fairly ordinary legal malpractice. Of interest is the claim that defendant failed to tell plaintiff of the statute of limitations. The usual allegation would be that the defendant failed to bring the matter within the statute. Is there more to the story?