28 Firms Supporting Retired Barnes & Thornburg Litigator in Georgia Supreme Court Malpractice Case
The amicus filers, who include King & Spalding, Alston & Bird and a number of their Big Law peers, say James Leonard is protected by the doctrine of "judgmental immunity."
February 03, 2025 at 05:31 PM
7 minute read
What You Need to Know
- 28 law firms are supporting a Barnes & Thornburg lawyer in a Georgia Supreme Court case.
- Two courts agreed that a common law-based doctrine protects the lawyer from liability when alleged mistakes made during litigation are scrutinized.
- Lawyers for a former client said a number of factors don't allow the doctrine protects the lawyer.
Georgia’s two largest law firms are leading the support for a retired Barnes & Thornburg lawyer who two courts agreed was protected by a common law-based doctrine that protects lawyers from liability when alleged mistakes made during litigation are scrutinized.
The Supreme Court of Georgia is set to hear oral arguments Wednesday from lawyers representing retired attorney James Leonard and former client Cynthia Cox-Ott, in a legal-malpractice suit stemming from an insurance dispute, during a special session at University of Georgia School of Law in Athens.
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