Law Commons^™

The Business Of Law And Tortious Interference The Fourth Annual Symposium On Legal Malpractice And Professional Responsibility., Alex B. Long

St. Mary's Law Journal

While few in the legal profession would refer to clients as “property”, it is difficult to think some lawyers do not believe they possess something similar to property rights in their retainer agreements with clients. Not surprisingly, a tortious interference claim is a viable option for an attorney who feels that another attorney has wrongfully “stolen” a client or otherwise interfered with the attorney’s “property.” Courts have traditionally been reluctant to hold attorneys liable for litigation conduct that results in harm to adversaries or their attorneys. Plaintiff-attorneys generally have a better chance of succeeding when they complain that another attorney—while …