Major Law Firm Erred, Judge Finds, But Awards Only $7, Not $55M Sought

Linklaters, a major London-based international law firm, was somewhat negligent in advising a telecom client of its chances of collecting substantial damages in a dispute with a competitor, a British court has found.

But, finding that Levicom wasn't damaged by the erroneous assessment, Justice Andrew Smith of the Royal Courts of Justice awarded the company only a little over $7, rather than the $55 million that it contended the malpractice case was worth, reports Legal Week. The judge also found that the law firm was not negligent in a number of respects.

In addition to the $55 million, the company had sought an additional $2.5 million in legal fees reimbursement, contending that it would have settled the dispute on more favorable terms but for the advice provided by Linklaters.

Levicom is now considering a possible appeal. Linklaters declined to comment to the legal publication.