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The Art of Law

Every endeavor
has its own art, whether it’s hitting
a baseball, writing
a symphony,
or handling a lawsuit. In the
legal arena there’s an art to envisioning solutions where others see problems. It has
to do with understanding how to resolve matters in a way that benefits each client. It has to do with the art of helping clients contain problems and expand opportunities.

Carrington ColemanCarrington Coleman
Professional Malpractice

Carrington Coleman has long been recognized as a “lawyers’ law firm.”  Carrington Coleman is well known for its superior representation of, and advice to, law firms and lawyers, as well as other professionals such as accountants, architects and engineers, physicians and hospitals, insurance professionals, and corporate officers and directors.  For lawyers and law firms alone, Carrington Coleman has handled over 350 matters of all types for over 130 lawyers and law firms.

We have defended law firms – from the local to the international – against a multitude of claims, including malpractice, breach of fiduciary duty, conflicts of interest, conspiracy, deceptive trade practices, breach of contract, conversion, and fraud, arising out of a wide range of substantive practice areas, including bankruptcy, estate planning, medical malpractice, civil litigation, business transactions, and settlement advice.  We have represented our clients in Texas’ highest court, making new law on important malpractice issues, such as the Texas Supreme Court case in which it affirmed summary judgment on behalf of our law-firm client and held for the first time that public policy prohibited an individual who had pleaded guilty and who had not been exonerated of a crime from suing defense counsel for malpractice. 

In addition, we are often engaged by law firms and lawyers as consultants to help them avoid litigation altogether, by advising them at the threshold of potential disputes with their clients on ways to deal with possible conflicts, possible client claims of negligence, and other issues. We also have represented numerous lawyers and law firms in non-malpractice contexts, including sanctions motions, disqualification proceedings, employment-related claims, fair debt collection claims, and business disputes.

Our clients’ recent victories include:

  • Summary judgment granted on behalf of large international law firm in a case involving alleged malpractice in connection with out-of-court restructuring negotiations and bankruptcy.  Damages sought by plaintiffs were in excess of $54 million.
  • Take nothing jury verdict in favor of large Texas firm in a case involving alleged malpractice, conversion, breach of fiduciary duty, and fraud arising out of a contingency fee case against an area car dealership.  The jury not only found for the defendant firm on the malpractice claims, but it also found that the attorneys’ fees sought by the firm were fair and reasonable.
  • Summary judgment granted and affirmed on appeal in case against a large Dallas law firm on the grounds that plaintiffs failed to provide any admissible evidence of compensable damages.  Plaintiffs had sought in excess of $9 million.
  • Summary judgment granted and affirmed on appeal on behalf of Texas law firm in case arising out of that firm’s representation of a debtor in bankruptcy proceedings. Plaintiffs  alleged damages in excess of $40 million. Plaintiffs’ attempt to overturn the state-court ruling in bankruptcy court failed when the court ultimately refused to reopen the closed case, which was also affirmed on appeal.
  • Putative class action against law firm based on Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (related to real property foreclosure) dismissed on 12(b)(6) motion.
  • Jury verdict in favor of law firm in consumer complaint alleging violations of the fair debt collection and deceptive trade practices statutes in relation to residential real estate foreclosure.
  • Summary judgment granted and affirmed on appeal in a case against a large Texas law firm in which plaintiffs sought in excess of $90 million.  Summary judgment was granted on the grounds that plaintiffs failed to provide any admissible evidence of injury or compensable damages.
  • Summary judgment granted and affirmed on appeal in favor of a large Dallas firm in case arising out of the alleged negligent mishandling of probate litigation that resulted in a $20 million judgment against the law firm’s client.
  • Derivative case against large Texas law firm was dismissed based on no finding of wrongdoing after special committee investigation.
  • Numerous cases settled on terms favorable to defendant law firms after victories on non-dispositive motions, or in mediation at various stages of the litigation.

Accounting professionals also have engaged us to represent them in claims involving failed financial institutions and claims brought by trustees, receivers, corporations, and individuals.

Our attorneys are recognized authorities in the fields of professional liability and malpractice and have written and spoken on these topics on numerous occasions.

For more information, please contact:

Kelli Hinson
214-855-3110
khinson@ccsb.com

Related Practice Areas:

Business Litigation
Healthcare

 

 

Not certified by the Texas Board of Legal Certification except as noted.