Professional Liability

9 legal malpractice trends in 2024

Legal malpractice is costing law firms big bucks, and it’s expected to fetch even more soon. Multimillion-dollar payouts increased year over year, according a 2023 report comparing 2022 numbers with the prior year report by Ames & Gough, a business insurance and risk management consultancy.

May 22, 2024 1:41 PM CDT

Suit accuses BigLaw partner of ‘regurgitating’ claims of con artist who claimed to be CIA agent

A Swiss oil trading company alleges in a lawsuit that a Baker & Hostetler partner was either fooled by a con artist claiming to be a secret CIA operative or was a conspirator in the man’s scheme.

May 14, 2024 10:24 AM CDT

Clark Hill was ‘duped by an obvious scam,’ costing its client $1.1M, suit alleges

Hackers posing as a client persuaded law firm Clark Hill to send $1.1 million from a lawsuit settlement to the wrong bank account, according to an April 22 suit.

Apr 30, 2024 11:57 AM CDT

Suit accuses Sullivan & Cromwell of employing ‘creative but misleading strategies’ that aided FTX fraud

A proposed class action lawsuit filed by investors in cryptocurrency exchange FTX accuses Sullivan & Cromwell of aiding and abetting fraud by providing legal services that went “well beyond” usual legal work.

Feb 20, 2024 4:00 PM CST

Baker & McKenzie can be sued in Chicago for work by Russian entity, Illinois appeals court affirms

A judge in Cook County, Illinois, did not abuse his discretion when he ruled that Baker & McKenzie LLP can be sued in Chicago for alleged malpractice by a former Moscow outpost on behalf of overseas clients seeking to reclaim a Siberian coal mine.

Feb 20, 2024 11:19 AM CST

What to do when friends or family members ask for legal advice

“It’s never going to go well,” Arizona attorney Lynda C. Shely says about the prospect of representing anyone you are close to, including family members and friends. Shely, the immediate past chair of the ABA Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility, works in private practice and has advised more than 2,500 law firms around the country on legal ethics matters.

Jan 25, 2024 8:34 AM CST

Holland & Knight accused of mistakenly sending over $3M to hackers

Holland & Knight is citing a lack of jurisdiction in a motion to dismiss a lawsuit accusing it of mistakenly sending $3.1 million to hackers using a Hong Kong account for a furniture store.

Dec 8, 2023 10:19 AM CST

$175M suit accuses BigLaw firm of ‘critical drafting errors’ and ‘sloppy and imprecise’ contract language

Two energy companies allege that Winston & Strawn bungled two intertwined contracts involving the purchase of Southern California oil and gas wells, leading the two clients to give up a 25% equity stake in their businesses while receiving nothing in return.

Nov 9, 2023 10:24 AM CST

Proskauer settles suit claiming 1 contract clause caused client’s $636M loss

Proskauer Rose has settled a lawsuit claiming that a clause that the law firm added to a contract in a “botched cut-and-paste” caused a client’s losses of around $636 million.

Sep 27, 2023 11:21 AM CDT

Did 1 contract clause cause Proskauer client’s $636M loss? Judge refuses to toss malpractice suit

A Massachusetts judge has refused to toss a $636 million malpractice lawsuit contending that a botched contract drafted by Proskauer Rose caused its client’s loss of a minority interest in a hedge fund.

May 17, 2023 2:48 PM CDT

Alleged cut-and-paste mistake wasn’t reason for client’s claimed $636M loss, Proskauer argues

Proskauer Rose is arguing that a bad business partner—and not a drafting mistake—is to blame for a client’s losses, which are alleged to be around $636 million.

May 11, 2023 2:56 PM CDT

Weekly Briefs: Judge orders reform of school-funding system; BigLaw malpractice suit settles

School-funding system violates state constitution, judge says A Pennsylvania judge has ruled that the state’s school-funding system, which is heavily dependent on local property taxes, violates the state constitutional rights of students in poor school districts. Judge Renee Cohn Jubelirer said the system violates the Pennsylvania Constitution’s education clause and…

Feb 10, 2023 2:44 PM CST