Bingham Seeks Court Ruling That Firm Met Its Obligations to Ex-Client, LA Dodgers Owner McCourt
Apparently hoping to avert a malpractice claim in a high-profile California marital matter and potentially collect some additional legal fees, Bingham McCutchen has filed suit in Massachusetts state court seeking a declaratory judgment.
The firm wants a court to rule that it met its obligations to then-client Frank McCourt, owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, in drafting a 2004 postnuptial marital property agreement and did not cause him a loss, reports the Boston Globe.
It also contends that he owes hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees, reports the Los Angeles Times.
“Any injury, loss or expense he has sustained or will sustain were caused not by Bingham’s conduct, but by his own widely publicized financial problems, huge withdrawals of cash from the Dodgers, and strained relations with Major League Baseball,” contends the complaint filed by the Boston-based firm. “None of this is attributable to Bingham’s work.”
In a written statement, McCourt criticized Bingham for “trying to defend conduct that is indefensible,” the Times says.
As earlier ABAJournal.com posts detail, McCourt and Bingham McCutchen parted ways after it became clear that his ex-wife could be awarded a significant ownership share in the team due to an apparent error by the law firm in drafting the agreement:
Dodgers Owner Loses Round in Divorce Battle as Judge Rules His Wife Is a Co-Owner of the Team
As LA Dodgers Owner Hires Sullivan & Cromwell, His Ex-Counsel Bingham McCutchen Hires Gibson Dunn
