United States Second Circuit

The district court's decision granting defendant's motion for judgment on the pleadings, which concluded that under New York law, the "unfinished business doctrine" does not apply to a dissolving law firm's pending hourly fee matters, is affirmed, where, where: 1) plaintiff-law firm was dissolved and partners of the law firm transferred various unfinished matters to defendant-law firm; and 2) the New York Court of Appeals, in response to a certified question regarding application of the "unfinished business doctrine," concluded that law firms do not have any property interest in future hourly legal fees, including unfinished matters, due to their highly speculative nature.

Appellate Information

• Decided 08/06/2014
• Published 08/06/2014

Judges

• PER CURIAM

Court

• United States Second Circuit

Counsel