PROFESSIONAL LIABILITY
Today, individuals within traditional professions are more vulnerable than ever to liability claims. These professionals and their malpractice insurers demand and deserve service from defense counsel who recognize their special needs and exposures. Gladstone Michel Weisberg Willner & Sloane is committed to providing that service.
The firm represents clients in complex, high-exposure cases involving claims of malpractice, malicious prosecution, negligence, disciplinary violations, conflicts of interest, breach of fiduciary duty, fraud, and other tort claims. Our lawyers have decades of experience defending lawyers and law firms, accountants, insurance brokers and agents, and other professionals accused of malpractice.
We are also well-suited to address the insurance issues associated with professional liability claims. We represent major insurance companies and brokers in coverage analysis and litigation, as well as in bad faith actions. In addition, the firm's corporate, real estate, employment and entertainment specialists support the Professional Liability Group by providing experience, technical expertise and practical judgment.
Our lawyers have tried numerous legal malpractice cases to jury verdict, and have briefed and argued at the appellate level, both state and federal, scores of cases involving attorney errors or omissions. We have defended attorneys and other professionals directly and as panel counsel assigned by carriers; defense assignments have come to our lawyers from some of the largest professional liability insurers in the business, including Lawyers' Mutual Insurance Company, First State, Philadelphia Insurance Company, Great American Insurance Company and Underwriters at Lloyds.
Our group's experience, technical skill and record of success have earned us reputation for aggressive, yet cost-effective defense. We offer additional value to our clients and colleagues by providing them with legal updates to keep them abreast of changes in the law. Our attorneys also serve as experts in attorney malpractice cases and regularly lecture on attorney liability issues.
Notable Engagements
Our attorneys have successfully handled many high-stakes professional liability matters, including:
- An internationally known rock star's case against a well-known Los Angeles entertainment firm for alleged mishandling of that singer/songwriter's audit claims against his record company;
- The defense of an entertainment attorney in connection with claims by an independent film investor who alleged that the film's lack of success was attributable to our client's documentation of the deal;
- A case arising from negligence and breach of fiduciary duty arising out of offshore tax planning for an Academy Award winning screenwriter;
- Representation of a Beverly Hills law firm in connection with a claim by a distributor of a series of celebrity-endorsed exercise videotapes in which we not only defeated several malpractice claims at the jury trial, but enforced the firm's fee agreement with the client;
- Representation of a Century City law firm accused of mishandling the negotiations for the creation and operation of a "green" power facility in Los Angeles;
- Litigation over the purchase and sale by a nationally syndicated cartoonist of her Hollywood Hills home to a movie producer and his wife (misrepresentations by the broker);
- Claims against architects for the design of a private residence for a prominent entertainment figure.
Contact:
Allen L Michel
amichel@gladstonemichel.com
(310) 821-9000