In 2005, the Tae Bo creator, Billy Blanks, was awarded a $30 million verdict for a legal malpractice claim he brought against his lawyer. Blanks hired a lawyer to file suit against his former accountant turned manager once Blanks learned that he was not a licensed agent in the state of California under the California Talent Agencies Act. In order for Blanks to recover the monies he had paid to his manager during that time period, his lawyer needed to bring suit with the Labor Commission within one year after payment to the unlicensed manager.
Blanks’ lawyer not only missed the filing deadline, he also brought the action in the wrong venue which caused Blanks’ action to be dismissed. Blanks’ then filed suit against his attorney for legal malpractice. His challenge was to prove not only that the lawyer had been negligent and he had to prove that if the lawyer had not been negligent, he would have recovered damages against his manager.
After a 6 week trial, the Jury hit Blanks’ attorney with a $30 million judgment. This judgment was then appealed and the Appellate Court determined that the jury was not properly instructed and the case was sent back to the Trial Court. So Billy Blanks has to get back in the ring with his former attorney for Round Two.
Mistakes like this case happen. When an attorney fails to file suit timely or files suit in the wrong venue, our experienced attorneys can help you recover.
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