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.
Leonard was sued by his former client, Cynthia Cox-Ott, for professional negligence, breach of contract and legal expenses after the life insurance fraud case he was hired to represent her estate for was dismissed in federal court.
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