D'oh! This is every litigation associate's worst nightmare come true:
A state Supreme Court jury in Manhattan returned a legal malpractice verdict last Thursday against LeBoeuf, Lamb, Greene & MacRae in favor of its former client, Sheraton Corp., which claims the award could total as much as $21 million.
While Sheraton brought a broad-based complaint asserting mishandling of the underlying case by a senior associate at LeBoeuf who was lead counsel, the trial judge, Justice Ira Gammerman, issued a directed verdict, limiting the case to a single issue, according to a statement issued by LeBoeuf. That issue related to the way the firm defended against a claim for $17 million in punitive damages.
But on that issue � relating to the way the firm defended against a claim for punitive damages � the jury agreed with Sheraton and ruled that the hotel chain could recover the punitive component of the award.
Read the rest here from New York Lawyer.