future-focused

Practices

Long recognized nationally for excellence in complex professional liability litigation, Liskow effectively advises and aggressively defends its clients in significant professional liability cases throughout the region and the country. We offer our clients over 35 years of experience in this area, enabling us to provide the full range of services, advice, and defense in all areas of professional exposure.

Overview

Liskow has successfully defended professionals, national professional liability carriers, and their insureds for more than 35 years. Our litigators regularly handle and defend legal malpractice, accountant, appraiser, and trustee liability cases. We also litigate professional liability insurance matters, including disputes relating to “claims made” policies, notice issues, fraud, prior acts and related exclusions, “omnibus” and extended coverage clauses and other coverage issues. The breadth and scope of our experience in this area uniquely qualifies the firm to deliver cost effective representation tailored to achieve the earliest possible resolution of our clients’ exposure. We are also fully prepared to try complex professional liability cases when necessary.

Team Includes

A Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, a former Chair of the American Bar Association’s (ABA’s) Presidential Standing Committee on Lawyers’ Professional Liability, two former Chairs of the ABA Professional Liability Litigation Committee, and several lawyers who are nationally ranked in Chambers & Partners, Best Lawyers, Benchmark Litigation, and similar national listings. Additionally, our team members regularly speak and publish in the areas of professional ethics and loss prevention.

Notable Experience

  • In 2021, we successfully defended one of the world’s largest actuarial firms against eight-figure claims of actuarial negligence brought the Louisiana Insurance Commissioner. The claims against our client were resolved for a small fraction of the amount sought by the plaintiff.
  • In 2020, we secured judgment dismissing all claims against a major law firm following a multi-day “zoom” trial, acquitting the client of all claims and liability.
  • Frequently, the professional liability cases that we handle are significant to pending and future cases:
  • Successfully defended an international public relations firm against high-profile professional liability claims brought by a national utility company (2019).
  • Successfully defended a national law firm against a class action suit arising from its tax collections work for the City of New Orleans. See Fransen v. City of New Orleans, 2016-0844 (La. App. 4 Cir. 3/28/18), 2018 WL 1516989 (affirming judgment substantially restricting class following class certification trial) (2018).
  • Successfully defended an international law firm in a major securities case in Louisiana (2013-2016). Following a major procedural victory in the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, the claims against the law firm were resolved on favorable terms. See Firefighters’ Retirement System v. Citco Group, Ltd., et. al., 796 F.3d 520 (5th Cir. 2015).
  • Secured dismissal of RICO, unfair trade practice and related claims against international law firm (2012).
  • Secured summary judgment dismissing legal malpractice claims against a large New Orleans law firm and national legal malpractice carrier (2012).
  • Successfully represented a national financial institution in its capacity as trustee of one of the largest trusts in the New Orleans area in a professional liability case against the predecessor trustee, resolving the case on terms highly favorable to the firm’s client.
  • Defended a major national accounting firm against professional liability claims arising from the audit of a publicly traded energy company, resolving the case on terms favorable to the client.
  • Secured the dismissal of malpractice claims against a major national law firm arising from a corporate merger transaction.
  • Obtained a reversal by the Louisiana Supreme Court of a large malpractice judgment entered against a leading law firm and a national malpractice carrier. The firm was retained to handle the appeal after the adverse judgment was rendered by the district court. Hendrick v. ABC Ins. Co., 00-CC-2403 (La. 5/15/01), 787 So.2d 283.

We are known for these strengths

  • Nationally recognized expertise in defense of complex professional liability matters
  • Effective and preventive advice in areas of loss prevention and exposure assessment
  • Careful and efficient pretrial preparation, focusing on what is relevant and bypassing irrelevant issues that delay prompt resolution and run up costs
  • Close communication with our clients and their in-house counsel
  • Sensitivity to client needs and concerns
Our team members are: “excellent trial lawyers,” who are “smart,” “well prepared,” and “very knowledgeable, prompt, fast and responsive to clients and the courts.”
Chambers and Partners, 2022

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