HB&B Receives Excellent Appellate Outcome

9th Circuit Unanimously Affirms Defense Verdict and $500K Unpaid Fee Recovery in Legal Malpractice Case Successfully Tried by HBB in 2005

San Francisco, April 28th:   Congratulations to SF Partner David Evans and Los Angeles Appellate Partner Jules Zeman who received a unanimous 9th Circuit ruling (unpublished) on Monday which affirmed a 2005 jury verdict which awarded HBB's client $500,000 in unpaid legal fees as well as giving the defendants a defense verdict in a complex legal malpractice case arising out of a complex bankruptcy matter.  (Astor Holdings v. Steefel, Levitt & Weiss.)  With accumulated interest, that verdict is now worth more than $800,000.  Mr. Evans, who tried the case in federal court in San Francisco and argued the appeal, and Mr. Zeman, who authored the appellate brief for the respondents, wish to thank San Francisco Paralegal/Litigation Technologist Katherine Black for her assistance throughout the appellate process; in fact, Ms. Black was also instrumental during all phases of the underlying District Court case and in trial in helping to produce the original verdict. 

Mr. Evans said:  "Jules Zeman deserves enormous credit for this result; his insights and writing skills were impressive and produced one of the best respondents' briefs it's ever been my pleasure to read.  Katherine Black was, as usual, indispensable to the entire process.  Jules' and Katherine's work made oral argument last December, before three of the 9th Circuit's more able and tenacious Judges, a far more pleasant experience than might otherwise have been the case!  The 100% affirmance of the jury's verdict in the face of some clever and complicated arguments by a very able appellant's counsel was especially sweet!  Yet another HBB total team effort producing a great result and a group of enormously satisfied clients and underwriters!"