Aiken v. Hancock, 115 S.W.3d 26 (Tex. App.—San Antonio 2003, pet. denied).
TX: Underlying civil litigation "catastrophe".
Student Contributor: Courtney E. Hamilton*
Facts: Douglas Aiken brought action against his former attorneys Patrick Hancock and Mark Ferguson, and their firm, Deadman and Ferguson, alleging violations of the Deceptive Trade Practices Act (DTPA), breach of fiduciary duty, negligence, gross negligence and breach of contract. The trial court partially granted Ferguson’s motion for summary judgment and dismissed Aiken’s breach of contract claims. The trial court also granted Ferguson’s first amended motion for summary judgment. Aiken appealed the decision of the trial court and neither the law firm of Deadman and Ferguson or Deadman were parties to the appeal. Aiken’s arguments to support his claim of breach of fiduciary duty were that Ferguson (1) falsely represented to Aiken his readiness to go forward and try Aiken’s case, and (2) failed to disclose that he was not ready to try Aiken’s case. Aiken also alleged that Ferguson falsely represented to him that the expert witness was ready to testify about a full audit and failed to disclose that the expert witness was not ready to testify about a full audit.
On appeal, Ferguson argued that Aiken’s claims are actually a single legal malpractice claim, and violating the Texas law that prohibits a plaintiff from fracturing legal malpractice claims.
Issue: Whether Aiken improperly "fractured" his legal malpractice claims against Ferguson.
Ruling: The San Antonio Court of Appeals held that Aiken improperly fractured his legal malpractice claim against Ferguson. The court found that Aiken’s classification of his claim as breach of fiduciary duty was improper because allegations did not consist of “self dealing, deception, or express misrepresentations in Ferguson’s legal misrepresentations in Ferguson’s legal representation.” The proper classification of these allegations would be a legal malpractice claim.
The court also held that Aiken’s assertion that Ferguson’s DTPA allegations based on alleged express misrepresentations did not state a cause of action independent from the malpractice claim.
After the court found that there was only one cause of action for legal malpractice the court applied the summary judgment standard of review. In doing so, the court held that summary judgment was proper because Aiken failed to prove causation and damages, two necessary elements for a legal malpractice claim.
Lesson: A breach of fiduciary duty involves issues of loyalty, confidentiality, and candor while a legal malpractice claim involves negligence and the lawyer’s alleged failure to exercise ordinary care. A plaintiff cannot fracture their malpractice claim when they cannot meet the elements of the additional malpractice claims. The court will view this as one malpractice claim and the plaintiff must establish by a preponderance of the evidence all the elements of a malpractice claim (duty, breach, causation, and damages).
*Courtney E. Hamilton is a third year law student at Texas Tech School of Law, and a candidate for her J.D. in May 2010. She currently serves as Articles Editor for the Texas Tech Administrative Law Journal. She has served as a law clerk for the U.S. Attorneys’ Office for the Northern District of Texas, the Texas State Board of Pharmacy, and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. Courtney received her B.S. in Chemistry from Sam Houston State University.
Tagged with: Deceptive Trade Practices Act, DTPA, Fiduciary Duty, Texas
Posted in: Fiduciary Duty, Texas