Perkins Coie Settles Malpractice Suit

Perkins Coie has agreed to settle a malpractice suit in a deal that will pay a former client $19 million, Legal Times reports.

Terms of the settlement are confidential. But the ex-client, Tokyo Kikai Seisakusho, has announced it will receive $19 million in a malpractice settlement. Robert Giles, managing partner of Perkins Coie, said the suit “was resolved by agreement, and litigation ended," but declined to confirm details.

TKS, a Japanese printing-press manufacturer, sued two Perkins Coie partners in 2006 after being found liable for $31 million in a lawsuit that had accused the company of illegally dumping its merchandise here for below market price. The malrpactice suit had contended TKS’ opponent in the underlying litigation obtained a privileged document containing legal advice about plans to disguise the sale price of a printer sold to a Dallas newspaper.

Perkins Coie lawyers had advised TKS to reject a $5 million settlement offer in the dumping case and take the case to trial, the lawsuit contended.