Pettit Kohn Attorneys Obtain Defense Verdict in Professional Liability Case

On April 25, 2014, Matt Smith and the professional liability team of Pettit Kohn Ingrassia & Lutz in San Diego, successfully obtained a defense verdict on behalf of their client in a professional liability case. The plaintiffs alleged claims for breach of fiduciary duty, negligence, fraudulent concealment, intentional misrepresentation, and conversion. After sixteen months of litigation and a three-week trial – lead trial attorney Matt prevailed on all counts in favor of his client, with the jury deliberating and returning a defense verdict in less than a day.

According to court documents, the Plaintiffs initially hired the client to help them recover their share of an inheritance that had been wrongfully withheld from them for years. In April of 2008, after months of hard-fought litigation (and over 1,500 hours of work), the client secured a very favorable, multi-million dollar settlement for the Plaintiffs and collected a contingency fee worth more than one million dollars. Several years later, Plaintiffs filed a lawsuit seeking a refund of the contingency fee.

At trial, Matt was able to prove that his client had fully complied with all of his ethical and professional responsibilities and that he was entitled to retain his well-earned contingency fee. This was a very hotly-contested case, involving serious allegations of wrong-doing against the client and the jury verdict represented complete vindication for Pettit Kohn’s client.