Professional Liability Defense

Directors, officers, lawyers, accountants, financial advisers, engineers, insurance brokers and other professionals turn to Sullivan's Professional Liability Defense Group to protect their rights. The Professional Liability Defense Group is experienced in handling a wide variety of claims in civil actions, administrative proceedings, disciplinary matters, and government investigations and actions. Major insurance carriers have approved Sullivan lawyers to defend malpractice matters, securities cases, class actions or other accusations against professionals. Our lawyers can also help facilitate insurance coverage as appropriate.

Representative Client Work

• Represented attorneys, accountants, executives, financial advisors, engineers and insurance professionals in a variety of professional liability actions
• Obtained summary judgment on a multi-million dollar legal malpractice claim, defeating partner-by-estoppel theories
• Defeated various complaints to Bar Counsel against attorneys
• Obtained dismissal of multi-million dollar false statement claims brought by the Office of the Attorney General based on allegations of related-party transactions against corporate officers
• Represented financial professionals in disciplinary proceedings at the CFA Institute
• Represented numerous directors and officers in response to SEC investigations
• Obtained reduction of charges from felonies to misdemeanors for professionals in matters ranging from alleged computer hacking in New Hampshire to alleged theft from a charity in New York
• Represented subjects and targets of high-profile “options backdating” and Ponzi-scheme investigations
• Represented high profile asset manager in connection with investigation concerning the Bernie Madoff Ponzi scheme
• Won a landmark appeal at state high court preserving work product protection over communications with accountants
• Represented a vice president of a New Jersey technology company who was targeted, but never charged, by a federal grand jury investigation into the alleged theft of trade secrets