Supreme Court of California

When alleged legal malpractice occurred in the performance of transactional work, the client must prove the causation element according to the "but for" test, meaning that financial harm or loss would not have occurred without the attorney's malpractice.

Appellate Information

• Decided 06/23/2003
• Published 06/23/2003

Judges

• KENNARD, J.

Court

• Supreme Court of California

Counsel

• For Appellees:
  
•  Munger, Tolles & Olson, Dennis C. Brown, Mark B. Helm, Allison B. Stein, Steven W. Hawkins, Paul J. Watford, Los Angeles;  Kester & Isenberg and Charles F. Kester, Woodland Hills, for Defendants and Appellants., Morrison & Foerster, Marshall L. Small, George C. Harris, San Francisco;  Crosby Heafey Roach & May, James T. Wilson, Oakland;  Heller Ehrman White & McAuliffe, Robert A. Epsen, Paul W. Sugarman;  Thelen Reid & Priest, Wynne S. Carvill;  Farella Braun & Martel, Douglas R. Young;  Pillsbury Winthrop, Ronald E. Van Buskirk and Robert M. Westberg, San Francisco, for listed law firms as Amici Curiae on behalf of Defendants and Appellants., Thelen Reid & Priest, Curtis A. Cole, Los Angeles, Cyrus M. Sanai;  Law Offices of Charles O'Brien, Walnut Creek, Norman L. Miley and Lynn F. York, Walnut Creek, for The Doctors' Company, Professional Underwriters Liability Insurance Company and Underwriters for the Professions Insurance Company as Amici Curiae on behalf of Defendants and Appellants., Rogers Joseph O'Donnell & Phillips, Pamela Phillips, San Francisco and Richard A. Jackson, for Rogers Joseph O'Donnell & Phillips, Barger & Wolen, Fish & Richardson, Hancock Rothert & Bunshoft, O'Melveny & Myers, Stradling Yocca Carlson & Rauth, Venture Law Group and Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati as Amici Curiae on behalf of Defendants and Appellants., Hinshaw & Culbertson, Ronald E. Mallen and Paul E. Vallone, San Francisco, as Amici Curiae on behalf of Defendants and Appellants., Altschuler Grossman Stein & Kahan, Bruce A. Friedman, Jeremy E. Pendrey and David B. Dreyfus, Santa Monica, for Los Angeles County Bar Association as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Defendants and Appellants., Ropers, Majeski, Kohn & Bentley, Mark G. Bonino, San Jose;  Stephan, Oringher, Richman & Theodora, Los Angeles, Harry W.R. Chamberlain II, Robert M. Dato, Brian P. Barrow;  Robie & Matthai, Edith R. Matthai, Los Angeles, Pamela E. Dunn, Pasadena and Natalie A. Kouyoumdjian, Los Angeles, for Association of Southern California Defense Counsel  and Association of Northern California Defense Counsel as Amici Curiae on behalf of Defendants and Appellants., Parker Mills & Patel, David B. Parker, Los Angeles, Angeli Aragon;  Altshuler, Berzon, Nussbaum, Rubin & Demain, Fred H. Altshuler, San Francisco;  Russo & Lowry, Los Angeles, and Jason H. Wilson, for the San Francisco Bar Association and the Beverly Hills Bar Association as Amici Curiae on behalf of Defendants and Appellants., Law Offices of Marjorie G. Fuller and Marjorie G. Fuller, Fullerton, for Orange County Bar Association as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Defendants and Appellants., Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, Theodore J. Boutrous and Julian W. Poon, Los Angeles, for Attorneys Insurance Mutual Risk Retention Group, Inc., and Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher as Amici Curiae on behalf of Defendants and Appellants., Christensen, Miller, Fink, Jacobs, Glaser, Weil & Shapiro, Patricia L. Glaser, Los Angeles, Mila Livitz, Peter C. Sheridan and Elizabeth G. Chilton, Los Angeles, for Plaintiffs and Respondents., James C. Turner, Thomas M. Gordon and Suzanne M. Mishkin for Halt, Inc., as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Plaintiffs and Respondents.