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Brueninger v. Williams

Malpractice Suit Dismissed; Attorney-Client Relationship, Privity Insufficiently Alleged

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OPINION AND ORDER ITGA, LLC (“ITGA”) and its sole member Richard Breuninger (“Breuninger”) have sued T. Edward Williams (“Williams”) for legal malpractice in his handling of a bankruptcy petition for ITGA, claiming that his malpractice caused ITGA to lose out on a lucrative contract. Plaintiffs also claim that Peyrot and Associates, PC (“Peyrot”), a law firm that employed Williams during part of the relevant time, is vicariously liable for his actions. And they further name Williams’s wife, identified only as Jane Doe Williams, on the theory that Williams was acting in furtherance of their marital community. Williams, Jane Doe Williams, and Peyrot have moved to dismiss the Second Amended Complaint. Because Plaintiffs failed to sufficiently plead either an attorney-client relationship with Williams or actual damages, and therefore they cannot establish Peyrot’s or Jane Doe Williams’s liability, the motions are granted and the Court dismisses this action. The dismissal, however, is without prejudice to Plaintiffs filing another amended complaint in the event they are able to cure the pleading deficiencies discussed herein. I. Background¹ ITGA is an Arizona Limited Liability Company whose sole member is Breuninger. SAC 2. Williams, a resident of Colorado and New York, is an attorney licensed to practice in those two states, and Jane Doe Williams is his spouse. Id.

3, 5, 8. Peyrot, a New York law firm, employed Williams from September 1, 2018 to at least January 22, 2019. Id.

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