Murtha Cullina’s Attorney Professional Liability practice has many years of experience representing law firms of all sizes and individual lawyers in a wide variety of disputes. The practice’s capabilities are enhanced through David Friedman's long tenure navigating a vast array of issues as Murtha Cullina’s general counsel and his deep understanding of the laws impacting the legal profession.
The practice represents clients in a wide range of disputes and claims, including:
- Legal malpractice
- Fraud
- Vexatious litigation
- Abuse of process
- Breach of fiduciary duties
- Breach of engagement agreements
- Breach of contract
- Ethics violations
- Lawyer/Firm separations and departures
- Legal fees
- Lawyer fee-sharing disagreements or competing fee claims
- Escrow account audits
- Criminal allegations
- Conflicts of interest
- Insurance coverage
- State bar admissions issues
Our lawyers also serve as general counsel to small- and mid-sized law practices, providing efficient, practical solutions to daily issues that arise and advising on governance, firm policies and ethical questions. In addition to our work for those in the legal profession, we are well-positioned to handle accountant malpractice and other types of malpractice claims.
Members of the practice regularly collaborate with other litigators and appellate lawyers at the firm to advance our clients’ positions in a variety of venues across the region, including:
- Connecticut Superior Court
- Connecticut Appellate Court
- Connecticut Supreme Court
- U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit
- American Arbitration Association arbitrations and mediations
- Connecticut Statewide Grievance Committee
Over the years, the practice has prevailed for clients in numerous complex, high-value cases. Representing a law firm in a series of suits relating to an insurance company’s decision to decline coverage on several claims brought by unhappy clients who were poorly served by a departed attorney, we sued the carrier and obtained a favorable verdict in federal court, saving the firm from financial disaster. In a case tried in Connecticut Superior Court, we successfully defended a lawyer and his firm who were sued by a nonclient claiming they breached their duties to protect his interests. We also obtained six-figure settlements for plaintiffs in two recent legal malpractices cases in Connecticut and Massachusetts.
