GMSR: Practice Area

Professional Malfeasance includes claims against lawyers for legal malpractice, malicious prosecution and abuse of process, as well as malpractice and breach of duty claims against other professionals such as accountants and trustees.

Click on featured cases (in red) for more information or click on attorney name for Professional Malfeasance cases associated with that attorney.

Blanks v. Shaw (2009) 171 Cal.App.4th 336
Reversing $30 million legal malpractice judgment because of error in instructing on Talent Agencies Act
Kent L. Richland

Kouri v. BDO Seidman (2007) 2007 Cal. LEXIS 7882
Obtaining depublication of published Court of Appeal opinion regarding liability of CPA firm
Irving H. Greines , Cynthia E. Tobisman

Siebel v. Mittlesteadt (2007) 41 Cal.4th 735
Impact of settlement after judgment on favorable termination requirement in malicious prosecution action
Robin Meadow

Murphy v. BDO Seidman (2007) 148 Cal.4th 460
Accountant liability for asserted misrepresentations in financial statement
Irving H. Greines , Cynthia E. Tobisman

Hearst v. Ganzi (2006) 145 Cal.App.4th 1195
Constitutional right of access to courts; liability of trustee for breach of fiduciary duty; immunity of trustee from exposure under will-contest safe harbor provisions
Irving H. Greines , Feris M. Greenberger

Shelden v. Grossman (2006) 2006 Cal.App. Unpub. LEXIS 8805
Impact of discovery rule on claim for conspiracy to breach trust; collateral estoppel; standing to assert negligence by drafter of will
Robin Meadow , Edward L. Xanders

In re Estate of Mark Hughes (2006) 2006 Cal.App. Unpub. LEXIS 8275
Propriety of trustee accountings and asserted violations of trust; executors’ asserted gross negligence in paying claims against estate
Irving H. Greines , Marc J. Poster

Hughes v. Reynolds (2006) 2006 Cal.App. Unpub. LEXIS 8246
Probate court’s independent discretion over custodial accounts established under Uniform Transfer to Minors Act
Irving H. Greines , Marc J. Poster

Fremont Indem. Co. v. Fremont General Corp. (2006) 143 Cal.App.4th 50
Lawyer not disqualified where he represented both parties while they were adverse in a third action
Kent L. Richland

Marshall v. Marshall (2006) 547 U.S. 293, 126 S.Ct. 1735,164 L.Ed.2d 480
Claims based on interference with an inter vivos trust do not fall within the “probate” exception to federal jurisdiction
Kent L. Richland , Alan Diamond , Edward L. Xanders

Benesch v. Hoisington (2005) 2005 Cal.App. Unpub. LEXIS 8512
Continuous representation as basis for tolling of statute of limitations for legal malpractice suit; propriety of summary judgment order
Irving H. Greines , Feris M. Greenberger

Bank of the West v. Lewschin (2004) 2004 Cal.App. Unpub. LEXIS 8278
Whether beneficiary’s objections to trustee’s accounting barred by prior probate rulings
Marc J. Poster

Rosenblum v. Alschuler Grossman Stein & Kahan (2004, B173793)
Legal malpractice in negotiating acquisition agreement (settled before decision)
Robin Meadow , Edward L. Xanders

Marshall v. Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher (2000, B137062)
Tolling of statute of limitations pending outcome of underlying action
Marc J. Poster

Marshall v. Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher (1998, B114188)
Legal malpractice – representing both partnership and one of its partners in drafting a partnership compensation plan
Marc J. Poster

Mattco Forge, Inc. v. Arthur Young & Co. (1997) 52 Cal.App.4th 820
Nature of proof required for malpractice case-within-a-case; appropriate jury instruction defining "clear and convincing evidence"
Kent L. Richland , Robin Meadow

Rosenfeld, Meyer & Susman v. Cohen & Riordan (1983) 146 Cal.App.3d 200
Partnership dispute arising from breakup of law firm; breaches of fiduciary duties owed by former law partners
Irving H. Greines

Waggoner v. Snow, Becker, Kroll, Klaris & Kraus, P.C. (9th Cir. 1993) 991 F.2d 1501
Attorneys’ duty to corporate officer who relied on corporations’ attorneys’ faulty legal advice
Marc J. Poster

Pilson v. Friedman (1991) 1991 Cal. LEXIS 4555
Adequacy of pleading for malicious prosecution and abuse of process
Kent L. Richland , Feris M. Greenberger

Doll v. Sullivan (1991) 1991 Cal. LEXIS 3094
Legal malpractice – proximate cause
Marc J. Poster

Lubetzky v. State Bar (1991) 54 Cal.3d 308
Evidence insufficient to deny applicant admission to State Bar
Kent L. Richland

Edwards v. Williams (1991, B038269)
Fraud from defendant attorney’s receipt of fee in underlying medical malpractice case
Martin Stein , Marc J. Poster

County of Los Angeles v. Superior Court (1990) 222 Cal.App.3d 647
Court of Appeal barred plaintiff from designating defendant’s withdrawn witness and disqualified plaintiff’s attorney for ex parte communications with witness
Martin Stein , Timothy T. Coates

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