Who’s the Lawyer? Suit to Decide

A malpractice suit against a well-regarded Washington, D.C., litigator raises an unusual issue: Which lawyer represented a man shot by a police officer nine times?

A $5 million malpractice suit claims Michele Roberts failed to serve the police officer and missed deadlines in the case, leading to its dismissal, Legal Times reports. Roberts, currently a partner at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, “has the kind of reputation that makes other attorneys salivate with envy,” the legal publication says.

In a deposition, Roberts said she took the case as a favor to the plaintiff’s grandfather, U.S. District Judge William Bryant of the District of Columbia. She said she agreed only to file a complaint for the plaintiff, who knew the case was later transferred to another lawyer.

Court records show there is no letter of engagement or written retainer, and Roberts never withdrew her name from the case, the legal publication says. The new lawyer on the case, solo practitioner Steven Kiersh, is also a defendant.

The ex-client, Vaughn Stebbins, has also sued Goodwin Procter, a law firm that merged with Shea & Gardner, where Roberts worked when she took the case.