People are generally familiar with medical malpractice, but that’s a different legal field altogether. What are the most common types of malpractice cases you oversee?
Legal malpractice. [Typically], claims are filed by former clients alleging negligence or breach of fiduciary duty, [but] we’ve seen an uptick in third-party claims typically brought by adversaries in underlying litigation or transactions. Third parties often allege claims of fraud, abuse of process, aiding and abetting, and interference.
So, your clients are other attorneys?
Yes, my clients are top-notch attorneys and leading national and international law firms. My colleagues often refer to me as “the lawyers’ lawyer.”
Are certain professions/industries more litigious than others?
Recently, we’ve seen a variety of legal malpractice claims arising in the renewable and alternative energy sector. These claims often arise from high-risk start-up projects that involve emerging technologies [which] are heavily dependent on investors and financing and often fail before commercialization. When they fail, litigation typically follows, and lawyers are easy targets.
Your work frequently concerns “covenants.” What does that mean from a legal standpoint?
A covenant is a contractual promise usually made by an employee not to engage in certain conduct after the employment relationship ends, such as soliciting customers or employees, competing with the business, or using confidential business information or trade secrets to compete with the business.
Who is your all-time favorite fictional attorney?
Ann Kelsey from L.A. Law was a strong litigator with high integrity, top ethics and a centered moral compass. She held her own in court and firm leadership, while being an engaged mother.
What do you do in your spare time?
I love to exercise and am often at the gym at 5 a.m. I enjoy outdoor adventures with my husband and daughters.
“If I wasn’t a lawyer, I’d be…”
I love football and often dreamed of being an NFL running back. I admire running backs’ abilities to charge head-on into challenges, read the field in real time and refuse to go down on the first contact… Running backs require vision, grit and resilience, as do lawyers in the courtroom.