James "Jim" Leonard is a partner with Barnes & Thornburg in Atlanta. (Courtesy photo) Ga. Appellate Court Upholds Dismissal of Legal-Mal Claim Against Barnes & Thornburg Lawyer
"Litigation strategy can be much debated among lawyers," Leonard's attorneys, former Supreme Court Justice Keith Blackwell, Steven Collins and Meredith Kingsley of Alston & Bird, wrote in their appellee brief. "That leaves even seasoned litigators open to second-guessing, especially when their decisions are viewed in hindsight after an adverse ruling."
February 21, 2024 at 03:11 PM
3 minute read
What You Need to Know
- The plaintiff-appellant originally filed Leonard to represent her in an insurance fraud dispute.
- However, when a federal court dismissed the case, she sued Leonard for legal malpractice.
- Leonard's counsel argued that hindsight can often lead to second guessing litigation strategy and doesn't necessarily mean malpractice occurred. The court agreed.
The Georgia Court of Appeals upheld the dismissal of a Fulton County legal -malpractice complaint against Barnes & Thornburg attorney James Leonard in a unanimous opinion on Tuesday.
This content has been archived. It is available through our partners, LexisNexis® and Bloomberg Law.
To view this content, please continue to their sites.
Not a Lexis Subscriber?
Subscribe Now
Not a Bloomberg Law Subscriber?
Subscribe Now
NOT FOR REPRINT
© 2024 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.
Related Stories
View AllYou Might Like
View All
Georgia High Court Clarifies Time Limit for Lawyers' Breach-of-Contract Claims
6 minute read
Bank of America Alleges Atlanta Lawyer 'Refused' to Return Almost $1M From DOT Settlements
4 minute read
Turning the Tables: Defense Litigators Embrace Lawsuits, Alleging Fraud at Plaintiffs Shops
6 minute read
Appellate Court Finds Trial Court Wrongly Dismissed Legal-Malpractice Suit Despite Disqualifying Counsel a Week Prior
Law Firms Mentioned
Trending Stories
- 1US Law Firm Leasing Up Nearly 30% Through Q3, With a Growing Number of Firms Staying in Place
- 2SEC Targets Rising Crypto Financier in $115 Million Securities Fraud
- 3Musk Avoids Sanctions for Skipping SEC Testimony for Rocket Launch
- 4On Advice of DOJ Office, Special Counsel Moves to End Trump Prosecution
- 5Stars and Gripes: Merging Firms Need a ‘Superstar Culture’ for US Success
Who Got The Work
Michael G. Bongiorno, Andrew Scott Dulberg and Elizabeth E. Driscoll from Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr have stepped in to represent Symbotic Inc., an A.I.-enabled technology platform that focuses on increasing supply chain efficiency, and other defendants in a pending shareholder derivative lawsuit. The case, filed Oct. 2 in Massachusetts District Court by the Brown Law Firm on behalf of Stephen Austen, accuses certain officers and directors of misleading investors in regard to Symbotic's potential for margin growth by failing to disclose that the company was not equipped to timely deploy its systems or manage expenses through project delays. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton, is 1:24-cv-12522, Austen v. Cohen et al.
Who Got The Work
Edmund Polubinski and Marie Killmond of Davis Polk & Wardwell have entered appearances for data platform software development company MongoDB and other defendants in a pending shareholder derivative lawsuit. The action, filed Oct. 7 in New York Southern District Court by the Brown Law Firm, accuses the company's directors and/or officers of falsely expressing confidence in the company’s restructuring of its sales incentive plan and downplaying the severity of decreases in its upfront commitments. The case is 1:24-cv-07594, Roy v. Ittycheria et al.
Who Got The Work
Amy O. Bruchs and Kurt F. Ellison of Michael Best & Friedrich have entered appearances for Epic Systems Corp. in a pending employment discrimination lawsuit. The suit was filed Sept. 7 in Wisconsin Western District Court by Levine Eisberner LLC and Siri & Glimstad on behalf of a project manager who claims that he was wrongfully terminated after applying for a religious exemption to the defendant's COVID-19 vaccine mandate. The case, assigned to U.S. Magistrate Judge Anita Marie Boor, is 3:24-cv-00630, Secker, Nathan v. Epic Systems Corporation.
Who Got The Work
David X. Sullivan, Thomas J. Finn and Gregory A. Hall from McCarter & English have entered appearances for Sunrun Installation Services in a pending civil rights lawsuit. The complaint was filed Sept. 4 in Connecticut District Court by attorney Robert M. Berke on behalf of former employee George Edward Steins, who was arrested and charged with employing an unregistered home improvement salesperson. The complaint alleges that had Sunrun informed the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection that the plaintiff's employment had ended in 2017 and that he no longer held Sunrun's home improvement contractor license, he would not have been hit with charges, which were dismissed in May 2024. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer, is 3:24-cv-01423, Steins v. Sunrun, Inc. et al.
Who Got The Work
Greenberg Traurig shareholder Joshua L. Raskin has entered an appearance for boohoo.com UK Ltd. in a pending patent infringement lawsuit. The suit, filed Sept. 3 in Texas Eastern District Court by Rozier Hardt McDonough on behalf of Alto Dynamics, asserts five patents related to an online shopping platform. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Rodney Gilstrap, is 2:24-cv-00719, Alto Dynamics, LLC v. boohoo.com UK Limited.
Featured Firms
Law Offices of Gary Martin Hays & Associates, P.C.
(470) 294-1674
Law Offices of Mark E. Salomone
(857) 444-6468
Smith & Hassler
(713) 739-1250
