Thanks to a D.C. Court of Appeals decision handed down today, Lynne Bernabei and Debra Katz might finally receive the $5,268 they were awarded six years ago in a dispute over legal fees.
The two lawyers, who ran the now-defunct Bernabei & Katz, won an arbitration award in 2002 after Shirley Bolton, whom the firm represented in a lawsuit against the U.S. Army for allegedly failing to promote her, refused to pay any legal fees. According to the opinion, Bernabei & Katz terminated its representation because Bolton was not paying their fees.
The D.C. Court of Appeals confirmed the arbitration award today and dismissed Bolton’s counterclaim, which alleged negligence and malpractice on the firm's part. However, the court’s opinion leaves open the possibility of Bolton amending or clarifying her answer.
Since the suit was first filed, Katz and Bernabei have gone their separate ways. Katz is a co-founder of Katz, Marshall & Banks. Bernabei is a co-founder of Bernabei & Wachtel.
Comments