Firm News
Minnesota Court of Appeals – Court Determination of No Attorney-Client Relationship Bars Subsequent Legal Malpractice Suit
By Will Jordan
A law firm represented trustees of a family trust in litigation. Following the litigation, the law firm brought an action against the trust to recover its attorney’s fees. The trust argued there was no attorney-client relationship between the law firm and the trust, because the law firm only represented the trustees. The court agreed. The trust then brought a lawsuit against the law firm, asserting causes of action premised upon an attorney-client relationship. The Minnesota Court of Appeals affirmed the lower court’s dismissal, finding collateral estoppel bars the plaintiff from asserting claims based upon an attorney-client relationship.
Janine Hurt Trust v. Neils, Franz, Chirhart, Hultgren & Evenson, P.A., No. A14-1600 (Minn. Ct. App. April 13, 2015).
Read the full opinion here.