Bradley Arant Boult Cummings has broad experience defending clients against claims of professional negligence or breach of fiduciary duties in high-stakes litigation. The attorneys in our Professional Liability Practice Group represent clients in state, federal and appellate courts throughout the country. They understand the unique legal and public relations issues that arise in cases of this type, and the significant financial exposure they represent.
Bradley Arant Boult Cummings has broad experience defending clients against claims of professional negligence or breach of fiduciary duties in high-stakes litigation. The attorneys in our Professional Liability Practice Group represent clients in state, federal and appellate courts throughout the country. They understand the unique legal and public relations issues that arise in cases of this type, and the significant financial exposure they represent.
The attorneys in the Firm’s Professional Liability Practice Group represent directors and officers of both publicly- and privately-held corporations; accountants and auditing firms; and lawyers and law firms. We also represent physicians; engineers; architects; and other professionals. These cases typically involve allegations of breach of fiduciary duties or professional malpractice. Our lawyers have extensive experience in handling all aspects of these cases, from pre-discovery motion practicethrough extensive discovery and deposition testimony, summary judgment, trial, and appeal. Our expertise includes an informed understanding of the various professions and the laws and regulations governing them. With respect to claims against corporate officers and directors, this includes an understanding of developments in the law of Delaware and other states, since this jurisprudence helps define officers' and directors' duties. It also includes an ability to take into account the way that such claims can intersect with a company’s bankruptcy or insolvency.
A substantial part of our practice is focused on accounting malpractice claims . We have broad experience with cases alleging failures to comply with generally accepted auditing standards, in both state and federal court and in arbitration proceedings. Our attorneys have tried cases in state and federal court for our accounting firm clients, and we have represented each of the Big Four auditing firms in major litigation in Alabama and elsewhere. These matters include cases brought by plaintiffs who alleged reliance on audited financial statements, as well as cases brought by the bankruptcy trustee of the auditing firm’s former client.
Our Professional Liability Practice Group also focuses on the defense of directors and officers who are alleged to have breached their fiduciary duties. We have extensive experience defending such cases under the law of Delaware as well as other states, and have handled such claims in the context of shareholder class actions, derivative litigation, and challenges to business mergers. Our clients in these matters have included directors of Fortune 250 companies, members of audit committees, and private equity investors in privately-held corporations. We have also litigated on behalf of our clients to secure insurance coverage for these claims, and we routinely represent clients under director and officer liability insurance policies.
Our attorneys also regularly represent other professionals accused of malpractice in their professions. Our clients in these cases have included doctors, lawyers, engineers, architects and others.