You've spent a lifetime providing highly valued skills to others as a lawyer, physician, engineer or architect. You could lose everything—career, life savings, professional standing—over allegations of professional negligence. The elements of a negligence lawsuit—duty of care, breach of duty, injury—aim at the heart of your professional skill and commitment.
Plaintiffs think you have deep pockets
Health care professionals, accountants, lawyers, broker/dealers, architects and engineers are often the targets of lawsuits that presume you have “deep pockets” and thus can pay big damage awards if businesses, projects or transactions fail. Even teachers, professors and clergy can be accused of negligence in performing their duties, allegations that may not involve substantial damage awards but which may still shatter careers.
Our experience
Our lawyers defend the interests and reputations of professionals in virtually every field. We realize that compassion and understanding are as necessary as competent, efficient, and aggressive representation when counseling a professional faced with a negligence lawsuit or other legal action. Our efficiency comes from thoroughly understanding your profession without having to be educated.
We understand all the issues that you face, from insurance coverage questions to ethics reviews, and have the technical insight to deal with the complexity of medical and engineering issues. If we can resolve the dispute you face other than through arbitration or litigation, we'll craft a settlement that's advantageous to you. If it's necessary to go to court, we'll be vigorous advocates in your defense.
Professional Malpractice Claims
Successfully handling a challenge to one’s professional reputation requires aggressive and skilled trial lawyers, which are the hallmark of our firm. Our lawyers routinely try the most complex business disputes utilizing sophisticated presentation tools to tell your story. We are adept at working with professional liability insurers and provide solid value through the efficient use of your time and financial resources while still delivering results.
We also have an excellent track record of favorably resolving complex multi-party disputes through dismissal, summary disposition or creative settlements. We strive to end claims before incurring the significant costs of protracted discovery that usually accompany professional malpractice litigation.
Administrative Compliance, Proceedings and Investigation
Our attorneys are versed in rules and regulations governing professional practice and represent professionals in achieving compliance and in answering suggestions of non-compliance. We assist professionals during the course of licensing board investigations and in criminal and fraud investigations, including those by the U.S. Department of Justice and the F.B.I.
Professional Practice Consultation
Professionals today practice through business entities, and we have the corporate, employment, intellectual property, real estate and tax attorneys your business needs to keep running smoothly. Our multi-state practices frequently form professional business entities, handle mergers and acquisitions, create and help enforce employments policies, protect intellectual property rights, and assist with office leasing.
Our attorneys create families of contracts for firms and assist in reviewing and preparing the complex contracts in use today. Our counsel and advice often leads to resolving issues before they grow into formal claims.
You Get Comprehensive Assistance
- We defend architect and engineering firms in lawsuits involving delay claims, malpractice allegations, design disputes and wrongful death claims, as well as in disciplinary actions before state licensing boards.
- We defend lawyers against allegations ranging from professional negligence to criminal tax fraud.
- We defend many physicians, nurses, dentists and health care provider organizations in lawsuits alleging malpractice.
- We represent broker/dealers and investment advisors in federal court and before arbitration panels of the American Arbitration Association, the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc., and the New York Stock Exchange.
Representative Cases
- Represented ENR Top-10 (Pure Design & General Building) international architecture and engineering firm in defense of $19 million multi-party design defect arbitration claim on $200 million high-rise hotel and condominium project obtaining favorable settlement of all issues within eight months.
- Represented ENR Top-10 (Pure Design & General Building) international architecture firm in multi-million dollar building defect litigation, acting as lead among twelve design and construction parties in structuring and completing building remediation.
- Represented engineering firm in dispute with subcontractor arising from construction of Toyota Center in Houston. Secured recovery of client's unpaid fees and extinguishment of subcontractor claims.
- Represented architecture and engineering firm suit involving air conditioning, plumbing and electrical design work at William P. Hobby Airport expansion project. Secured favorable ruling from three-member arbitration panel.
- Dismissing a federal lawsuit against a national project management firm concerning construction errors in a high-rise prison.
- Securing dismissal of all claims of medical malpractice against a large hospital based on the plaintiff's failure to produce an expert report in the case.
- Represented national engineering firm in a delay, disruption and malpractice claim involving a new $300 million federal agency facility. Obtained favorable settlement.
- Acted as defense counsel in obtaining dismissal of national civil engineering firm from two wrongful death flooding-related lawsuits in Jefferson County, Texas each for four-figure settlement sums.
- Trial counsel for national brokerage firms and individual financial advisors in FINRA arbitrations.
- Represented Am Law 100 law firm in claim for disgorgement of $1 million fee and damages for alleged malpractice and breach of fiduciary duties. Underlying representation had involved allegations of securities irregularities and corporate fraud. Secured defense judgment, affirmed by U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals and certiorari denial by the U.S. Supreme Court.
- Defended architectural firm in Design-Builder claim from a major addition to M.D. Anderson Hospital. Claim exceeded $15 million and numerous claims of error and omission. Secured a minimal settlement for client and recovery of partial offset from other parties.
- Represented professional liability carrier for individual lawyer in multiparty case involving misuse of corporate funds and alleged breach of fiduciary duties. Secured favorable settlement involving nominal contribution to significant settlement payments by co-defendants.
- Represented professional engineering firm in dispute arising from construction of finishing facility for military jet fighter. Secured favorable settlement after discovery and shortly before arbitration.
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