Professional Liability Matters

April 9, 2025 Cyber-Liability

Tax Season = Phishing Season

Most professionals are aware of the April 15 tax deadline. We know that fraudsters certainly are! As Tax Day approaches in the U.S., we encourage all to be mindful of several phishing campaigns that Microsoft has observed using tax-related themes for social engineering to steal credentials and deploy malware. These campaigns notably use redirection methods such as URL shorteners and QR codes contained in malicious attachments and abuse legitimate file-hosting services (Dropbox, OneDrive…etc.) and business profile pages to avoid detection.

Every tax season, threat actors …

March 26, 2025 Legal Malpractice

Lawyers Beware: Litigation Funding Leads to Malpractice

As recently reported by Law360, a Pennsylvania lawyer and a litigation funder are facing racketeering and malpractice claims. A Pennsylvania federal judge recently declined to dismiss claims brought by a client accusing his former lawyer of engaging in a conspiracy to improperly charge him inflated legal fees to cover high-interest litigation loans.

In the underlying matter, the client/plaintiff retained the lawyer to represent him in a lawsuit claiming he suffered neurological issues stemming from a titanium medical implant after installing a pole with a …

March 5, 2025 Malpractice Defenses

New Jersey Attorney Cleared of Alleged Malpractice

The New Jersey Superior Court, Law Division, in Bergen County, granted a motion for summary judgment in a legal malpractice case against a New Jersey attorney defended by Goldberg Segalla.

Goldberg Segalla’s client was the second lawyer of three representing homeowners in an action against their insurance company for breach of contract and consumer fraud claims related to a water loss in their home. The underlying action was removed from the trial calendar so the parties could pursue private mediation. When mediation was unsuccessful, the …

March 5, 2025 General

International Defense Attorney Returns to the U.S., Bringing Distinct Skills to Goldberg Segalla

Goldberg Segalla is pleased to announce that attorney Andrew H. Reynard has joined our Management and Professional Liability practice group in the Manhattan office, bringing more than 20 years of experience encompassing diverse areas of law and managing high-profile cases impacting the financial services, investment management and insurance industries.

“We are excited to welcome Andy to our expanding national practice,” said Jonathan Ziss, co-chair of the firm’s Management and Professional Liability practice. “Andy has built a sterling reputation as an innovative and effective litigator. …

Lawyer working with documents at wooden table indoors, closeup

February 19, 2025 Legal Malpractice

Dwindling Returns: Failing to Read LPL Policy Cost Millions

A quirky reality of litigation is that the amount of recoverable dollars often dictates the strategy and approach. Maybe no one said it better than Biggie: “mo money, mo problems.” Especially in the context of an insured defendant, the applicable policy limits and coverage terms play a large role in shaping the litigation.

In a recent legal malpractice dispute, a plaintiff alleges that his former counsel misguided him during litigation — an underlying legal malpractice claim — by failing to appreciate the impact …

February 19, 2025 Malpractice Defenses

Fervent Defense Brings Favorable Outcome in Long-Running Malpractice Case

A fervent and insightful defense waged by Goldberg Segalla partner Michael D. Shalhoub and attorney Rebecca R. Rabideau secured a defense verdict in favor of a dentist accused of malpractice in a lawsuit that dragged on for years to become the central New York county’s longest-running court case.

The plaintiff claimed in her lawsuit that the extraction of nine teeth and subsequent placement of implants — all of which failed — exacerbated a neurological condition causing “neuropathic pain.” As a result, she claimed to experience …

February 5, 2025 Law Practice Management

Attorney Discipline: Stranger than Fiction

Many of us probably realized in law school the answer is often “it depends.” The specific fact-patterns shift the issues or trigger exceptions to the rule. Attorneys make a living navigating in those gray areas when the answer is not obvious. This is true in litigation, transactional matters, contracts and disciplinary proceedings, too. A recent grievance proceeding proves that some points may seem so obvious that they are not worth mentioning, such as don’t hire hackers to spy on the presiding judge and don’t collude …

Senior businessman pointing on contract to asking about term and legal agreement with female lawyer

January 22, 2025 Law Practice Management

The Corporate Client: You’re My Lawyer, Right?

The ABA recently provided insight for attorneys who represent corporate clients. While that engagement is often limited to an attorney’s duty to the organization, there is a very real risk that the organization’s members – i.e. the employees – may misunderstand the attorney’s role or otherwise misinterpret the attorney’s guidance intended for the organization.

Typically, it is quite simple to define an attorney-client relationship. A client engages an attorney for a particular task and executes a clear and focused engagement agreement. Of course, miscommunications or …

January 8, 2025 Accountants

Accountants Owning Law Firms?

In a novel move, Big 4 accounting firm KPMG has taken the first step in seeking to own and operate a law firm in the United States. Although permitted in other countries, the United States generally prohibits non-lawyers from owning a law firm. In 2020, however, Arizona became the first state to relax that standard thereby opening the possibility of what is apparently on the horizon.

There are about 1.3 million attorneys in the United States. Competition is considerable, and attorneys strive to develop a …

January 8, 2025 Law Practice Management

Peter J. Biging and Guests Discuss the Art of Mediation in 4th Episode of ‘The Precipice’ Podcast Series

Peter J. Biging, partner and co-chair of Goldberg Segalla’s Management and Professional Liability practice group, hosts the fourth episode of “The Precipice,” a podcast series presented by the Professional Liability Underwriting Society (PLUS).

The guests for this episode include Mark Bunim, arbitrator and mediator for Case Closure LLC, Jennifer Lupo, managing member for Lupo Law, Arbitration & Mediation LLC, and Theo Cheng, arbitrator and mediator for ADR Office of Theo Chang.

LISTEN TO THE FULL PODCAST HERE: “PLUS Podcast: The Precipice Episode 4,” …