No malpractice claim from late transcript

Lawyer served wrong defendant three days before service date – $190,886 Verdict

By Virginia Lawyers Weekly
Published: March 5, 2012
Tags: Fredericksburg Circuit Court, Judge T.J. Markow, Legal Malpractice

This legal malpractice action arose out of an underlying personal injury action wherein the minor plaintiff (at the time of the motor vehicle collision) suffered facial lacerations and other injuries in a head-on motor vehicle collision. Defendant in the legal malpractice action was retained by plaintiff and her mother, and filed suit a little more [...]

Jury finds for co-defendant in legal malpractice case – Defense Verdict

By Virginia Lawyers Weekly
Published: February 13, 2012
Tags: Fairfax County Circuit Court, Judge Michael F. Devine, Legal Malpractice

The plaintiff alleged that her attorneys breached the standard of care in handling her divorce and equitable distribution matter. Because of this alleged breach, she claimed she agreed to enter into a property settlement agreement that provided less than she would have received if her attorneys behaved in accordance with the care, skill and diligence [...]

Fairfax lawyer hit for fraud, legal malpractice

By Paul Fletcher
Published: October 31, 2011
Tags: Fairfax County Circuit Court, Fraud, Judge Michael F. Devine, Legal Malpractice

A Fairfax lawyer has been hit with a malpractice verdict in a claim brought by a divorce client who argued he convinced her to take an unfavorable settlement. And in the same case, her brother-in-law won a fraud verdict, including a punitives award, because the lawyer borrowed money to prosecute the case, then paid himself [...]

Attorney is tagged for malpractice, fraud – $524,975 Verdict

By Virginia Lawyers Weekly
Published: October 31, 2011
Tags: Fairfax County Circuit Court, Fraud, Judge Michael F. Devine, Legal Malpractice

Defendant represented plaintiff Whyard in her divorce. He never pursued pendente lite spousal support, failed to designate any experts, was deficient in his discovery efforts and took no depositions. He convinced Whyard to accept a settlement one business day before trial, which gave her less of the marital estate than she would have likely received [...]

Disappointed donors drop malpractice claim

By Peter Vieth
Published: July 13, 2011
Tags: Bankruptcy, Federal Courts, Judge Liam O'Grady, Judge Stephen S. Mitchell, Law Firms, Legal Malpractice

Disappointed donors who lost $1 million after the bankruptcy of a Virginia-based charity may have lost their last chance to find recovery or revenge. The story of John and Nancy Behrmann’s involvement in a “donor advised fund” managed by the bankrupt National Heritage Foundation Inc. is a case study in the fallout for donors when [...]

Too much talk

By Peter Vieth
Published: April 4, 2011
Tags: Fairfax County Circuit Court, Judge Jane Marum Roush, Legal Malpractice

A Fairfax circuit judge bounced a Maryland lawyer from a Virginia legal malpractice case last month for alleged bad behavior at a series of “contentious and hostile” depositions. In effect, the lawyer was thrown off the case for talking too much. Fairfax Circuit Judge Jane Marum Roush found the lawyer had violated an order barring [...]

Lawyer beats pro se malpractice lawsuit

By Peter Vieth
Published: February 21, 2011
Tags: Fairfax County Circuit Court, Judge Brett A. Kassabian, Judge David Stanford Schell, Judge Dennis J. Smith, Judge Gerald Bruce Lee, Judge Jan L. Brodie, Judge R. Terrence Ney, Legal Malpractice

The slightly built woman stands, apparently alone, on a busy corner in bustling Tysons Corner, Virginia. In the video she posted on YouTube, she is dwarfed by the office buildings behind her and appears in danger of being blown over by the rush of traffic. The woman carries a battery of signs – two sandwich-style [...]

Pro se plaintiff gets jury trial in legal malpractice case – Defense Verdict

By Virginia Lawyers Weekly
Published: February 21, 2011
Tags: Fairfax County Circuit Court, Judge Brett A. Kassabian, Legal Malpractice

The plaintiff initially retained the defendant attorney and his law firm in April 2005 in connection with an insurance fraud cause of action against New York Life Insurance Company and its agent, Suk-Ku Lim. The plaintiff alleged that Lim fraudulently sold her a financial instrument which would pay her $3 million dollars when, in fact, [...]

Firm loses malpractice coverage due to ‘scheme’

By Deborah Elkins
Published: December 3, 2010
Tags: Federal Courts, Insurance, Judge Liam O'Grady, Legal Malpractice

A new business client comes in. He has a great idea, a real moneymaker. He needs a lawyer to help him get his business up and running. The client’s excitement is contagious. Pretty soon, the lawyer wants a piece of the action. He decides to invest in the business. Tread carefully if you head down [...]