Professional Liability Defense
When professionals are at risk in litigation, GRSM has an experienced, deep roster of attorneys who understand the unique challenges and issues presented by such claims.
Our lawyers across the country have extensive experience in the defense of professionals, including attorneys, health care providers, architects, engineers, accountants, directors and officers, real estate brokers, insurance brokers and financial planners. GRSM represents professionals under insurers’ errors and omissions policies and directly when the professional is self-insured.
GRSM’s professional liability attorneys have knowledge and understanding of auditing and accounting principles, making them well equipped to defend against liability claims including those based upon financial reporting, tax work, and business consulting. Our attorneys have successfully litigated cases in the state and federal court systems in civil and bankruptcy courts at the trial and appellate levels. Additionally, we have represented accounting clients in securities suits, including class actions, and accountants before professional boards with respect to licensing, client disputes, and ethical issues.
Our clients range from sole practitioners to large accounting firms. Our accountant malpractice attorneys understand the technical nature of accounting claims and the standards to which the industry must adhere. GRSM attorneys stay up to date on changes in GAAP, GAAS, and relevant tax laws necessary to defend our clients.
We believe many claims can be avoided by assisting our clients in properly managing the risks of the accounting profession. To that end, a key component of our practice is counseling accounting firms on loss prevention strategies, including the proper use of engagement letters and client contracts, file management, conflict checks, and professional liability policies and coverage issues. We assist accountants when subpoenaed as witnesses and/or custodians of records in third-party litigation as these are often, but not always, precursors to a claim.
The attorneys in the professional liability group have defended hundreds of legal malpractice cases over the years. The firm has represented legal professionals ranging from some of the largest law firms in the country to sole practitioners involving a wide variety of legal disciplines and underlying claims and transactions.
The group is well qualified to handle sensitive issues of confidentiality and the impact of the case on the lawyer’s ongoing practice. The group’s lawyers have the experience necessary to recognize when the matter should be resolved as soon as possible and to successfully defend cases and recover fees owed to the legal professional.
GRSM’s broker-dealer group has well-proven experience with the complete range of regulatory and market issues facing full-service, discount, and online broker-dealers, as well as broker-dealer affiliates of insurance companies, hedge funds, banks, and other diversified financial services companies that offer investment management and brokerage services. The group also has a strong track record in handling associated parallel proceedings, concurrent private claims, class actions and multijurisdictional cases, and criminal investigations.
The FINRA arbitration defense team works closely with the firm’s transactional lawyers, but the defense team is strategically comprised of trial lawyers because success in FINRA arbitrations depends on attorneys with the ability to present witnesses and evidence to a “jury” of arbitrators who are not exclusively securities professionals. The group’s trial experience includes complex sales practices and consumer fraud actions for unregulated life, health and disability insurance products.
GRSM lawyers understand the potential exposure design professionals face is tremendous. Clients’ reputations and livelihoods are on the line. We regularly counter high-stakes allegations, such as claims involving tunnel and bridge collapses, dam leakages and interstate highway construction. Our counsel to architects and engineers involves comprehensive contract drafting and administration support as well as the defense, and enforcement when necessary, of an array of claims.
We also represent general contractors in the drafting, negotiation and administration of contracts with owners and subcontractors. When disputes arise, we offer a proven record of defense in which we have mitigated exposure and preserved professional standing. For more information, view our Construction Professionals practice.
GRSM has represented insurance brokers and agents in a wide variety of actions alleging errors and omissions involving all types of insurance policies. The lawyers who represent insurance brokers and agents have acquired extensive experience representing primary, excess and life insurers, and claims management organizations in negligence, fraud and bad-faith actions.
GRSM has represented national and local real estate brokers and agents in actions involving negligence, fraud, and contractual issues. The firm’s attorneys have extensive experience in commercial and residential matters as well as representing real estate professionals before administrative boards and agencies. GRSM has represented real estate brokers and agents involved in trade secret and business competition actions. The firm has the advantage of having experienced real estate transactional attorneys who can offer on-the-spot answers to sophisticated real estate-related issues.