Professional Liability Lawyer

The defense of a professional in a malpractice action creates a multitude of issues involving both the litigation and the resulting effect on the professional's reputation and practice. The business attorneys at Poole & Shaffery, LLP have significant experience in identifying and resolving such issues through their defense of attorneys, architects, engineers, accountants, directors and officers, and real estate brokers and agents, among others.

Poole & Shaffery, LLP defends professionals when they are insured by errors and omissions policies and when they are self-insured. With established expertise in complex civil litigation as well as success in the alternative dispute resolution processes, Poole & Shaffery, LLP provides professionals with vigorous, thorough and cost-efficient representation.

Poole & Shaffery, LLP's experience with professional liability defense includes:

• With respect to attorney malpractice litigation, the preparation of defense strategies which move the litigation towards resolution through dispositive motions and alternative dispute resolution processes.
• With respect to director and officer liability actions, our attorneys have consulted with and defended officers and directors in a variety of litigated matters including employment, harassment, breach of fiduciary duty, intellectual property, and breach of contract claims.
• With respect to architects and engineers, attorneys at Poole & Shaffery, LLP have defended design professionals in malpractice claims in the context of construction defect and construction delay and disruption claims.
• With respect to the defense of accountants in malpractice actions, Poole & Shaffery, LLP have counseled and defended accountants with respect to claims concerning auditing, tax preparation, and financial advising.

Representative matters for the Professional Liability Group include:

• Obtained defense judgment in Los Angeles Superior Court in 2011 following trial involving alleged fraud, breach of fiduciary duty involving former business partners.
• Obtained a dismissal of disciplinary action by State of California against structural engineer in relation to work he had performed on the Hollywood Subway Tunnel which collapsed.
• Represented medical doctor in disciplinary hearings before State of California Administrative Law Judge regarding alleged misconduct.
• Obtained summary judgment in favor of employer in action brought by two former employees who alleged that they had been terminated for reasons that violated public policy.
• Obtained a dismissal of all claims in return for a mutual waiver of costs in a claim for sexual Orientation harassment, disability discrimination and wrongful termination in violation of public policy by a former regional manager of a Fortune 500 company.
• Defended mechanical engineer in arbitration before the American Arbitration Association on claims by institutional owner that defective design of the HVAC system in a laboratory building led to construction delays and disruption.
• Defended architects in a construction defect matters involving the design of office buildings where the allegations included that the architect's design of the curtain wall system resulted in significant water intrusion and resulting property damage.
• Defended attorneys in malpractice actions where the underlying representations involved real estate and business transactions.