PROFESSIONAL LIABILITY

Pastiras & Terrizzi is an influential contributor to the rapidly changing area of professional liability. In addition to handling the more traditional issues relating to the defense of medical professionals, the Professional Liability Practice Group has pioneered new areas of coverage pertaining architects, brokers, CPA's, engineers, directors and officers, and in particular, attorneys.

Members of this Group have provided expert witness consultation & testimony, mediation and arbitration as well as representation in a very substantial number of legal malpractice matters. The underlying fields have included real estate disputes, commercial and transactional matters, malicious prosecution, and tax fields.

Attorneys
Serving as the defense in a number of legal malpractice actions brought against attorneys, the Group is well-versed in the types of errors that may lead to such claims. Moreover, it recommends practical loss control techniques that could prevent their occurrence. The Group's expertise extends to a number of legal malpractice issues, including third-party, non-clients injury resulting from the attorney's representation of a client, a client's defense to action for recovery of fees, attorney's negligence in the handling of client relations and the rendering of legal services, and intentional wrong-doing against the client.

Brokers

Because of the growing incidence of liability claims against insurance and real estate brokers and agents, we have expanded our role in the defense of brokers and the prosecution of insureds in a variety of cases, including negligence and conflicts of interest.

CPA's

The Group has handled a number of claims that involve allegations of professional malpractice generated by creditors, investors, and even the audited institution. The Group has been retained to handle cases involving both the CPA's liability for errors and omissions, as well as his or her ability to third parties for their alleged reliance involving his or her work product for lending money or investing in the subject of the work. Though primarily a defense litigant in these cases, the Group also provides advice to carriers on coverage of atypical claims, as well as the evaluation of potential exposure in complex claims.

Architects and Engineers

Plastiras & Terrizzi approaches professional liability litigation involving architects and engineers with a view toward cost effectiveness and sensitivity to the needs and desires of the design professional and his insurer. We encourage mediation and alternative dispute resolution in those cases where it offers prospects of early disposition.

Our attorneys are thoroughly familiar with issues involving adequacy of construction design, scope of contractual services, and materials specification most frequently encountered by builders, architects and engineers arising from the performance of their professional services. Over the years, the firm has cultivated a select group of consultants who add a dimension of expertise on technical matters necessary for an effective defense.

We have represented design professionals in a variety of claims including condominium construction defects, commercial building construction defects, soils engineering and grading plan and compaction, heating, ventilation, air conditioning design defects, and recreational facility design defects. Additionally, Plastiras & Terrizzi has expertise in matters involving site work plan and specifications, materials specification, fire suppression systems, road design and contract and insurance coverage disputes.

Contractors

Our attorneys are thoroughly familiar with issues involving adequacy of construction design, scope of contractual services, and materials specification most frequently encountered by builders, architects and engineers arising from the performance of their professional services. Over the years, the firm has cultivated a select group of consultants who add a dimension of expertise on technical matters necessary for an effective defense.

We have represented professionals in a variety of claims including condominium construction defects, commercial building construction defects, soils engineering and grading plan and compaction, heating, ventilation, air conditioning design defects, and recreational facility design defects. Additionally, Plastiras & Terrizzi has expertise in matters involving site work plan and specifications, materials specification, fire suppression systems, road design and contract and insurance coverage disputes.