Established in 1969, Morris Polich & Purdy has a rich, prestigious history of representing all types of professionals. Our many services include loss prevention, risk management, contract review and transaction advice, as well as effective representation in all forms of litigation, including mediation, arbitration, trial, and appeal. We also represent clients in hearings before federal, state and local agencies. Our expertise in the area of professional liability law, as well as our dedication to success, has earned the Firm its reputation with the bench and bar as sensible, skillful litigators.
Our Clients
- Design and Construction professionals
- Insurance professionals
- Financial professionals
- Lawyers
- Real Estate professionals
- Miscellaneous other professionals
Our Approach
We recognize that claims against professionals are unique and challenging. It is our belief that our client’s intimate involvement is critical to our ability to succeed, as well as to the client’s peace of mind. We partner with our clients to develop a strategy for each case, and we pride ourselves on the ability to both earn and keep our clients’ trust.
A CROSS SECTION OF OUR EXPERIENCE
Design & Construction Professionals
Morris Polich & Purdy LLP has nearly 40 years of experience in full-service legal representation of design and other construction professionals. We are leaders in this field, and we have arbitrated and tried hundreds of professional liability cases to judgment or verdict. We advise and counsel design professionals in the drafting of contracts at the inception of potential projects, and on loss prevention during the course of problematic projects. We handle public and private contract disputes involving project disruption, project delays, lost profits, non-payment, and allegations of design errors and omissions. We represent all forms of construction professionals, and, if necessary, efficiently and aggressively litigate matters involving design defects in commercial, residential, and industrial structures and developments, including worker injuries attributed to design errors and omissions. Some of our attorneys are licensed and practiced architects and engineers, and others have studied to become architects and engineers. This provides us with valuable insight into the special issues and concerns raised in design and construction disputes.
We represent such design and construction professionals as:
- Architects of all disciplines
- Engineers of all disciplines
- Construction managers
- Home and building inspectors
Lawyers
Morris Polich & Purdy offers a wealth of experience in the field of lawyer professional liability. At the first sign of trouble, we advise and counsel attorneys on avoiding and mitigating potential claims. In the event of an actual claim, we promptly assess our client's potential liability and explore a satisfactory resolution without the trouble and expense of litigation. If a claim turns into actual litigation, we are skillful and effective advocates for our clients. In addition to trial and appellate experience, we are particularly proud of our record of achieving early dispositive success by way of demurrer, motions for summary judgment and the California anti-SLAPP statute. Because of the Firm’s broad range of practice areas – employment, business, real estate, construction, medical products and biotechnology, to name a few – our attorneys have instant access to expertise in virtually any kind of legal malpractice claim. We also provide counsel and seminars to law firms on ethical issues and loss prevention.
We have represented attorneys from such fields of expertise as:
- Plaintiff personal injury
- Real estate
- Insurance defense
- Malpractice (plaintiff and defense)
- Employment
- Trusts, wills and estates
- Class actions
- Business litigation
- Corporate and banking transactions
- Landlord tenant
- Workers compensation
- Bankruptcy
- Criminal law
- Family law
- Securities
- Civil rights
Real Estate Professionals
Our many services in this area include transaction advice, entity selection, loss prevention, risk management, contract review and transaction advice, as well as effective representation in all forms of litigation - mediations, arbitrations and trials. We also represent clients in hearings before state and local agencies such as the Department of Real Estate and Local Boards of Realtors. Examples of our loss prevention and risk management services include the early identification of common problems, as well as methods to resolve issues that arise in real estate transactions such as contract formation, disclosures, dual agency, title and escrow issues, and commission disputes.
We represent such real estate professionals as:
- Real estate brokers
- Real estate agents
- Mortgage brokers
- Title and escrow companies
- Appraisers
- Property managers
- Directors and officers of real estate companies
Insurance Professionals
Morris Polich & Purdy also has experience advising and representing various insurance professionals in, not only claims of professional negligence, but also claims of unfair competition, misappropriation of trade secrets, unfair business practices, and interference with economic relationships. Since our inception, our firm has maintained an extensive and highly successful insurance coverage practice, and we capitalize on our in-depth knowledge of all aspects of insurance to achieve excellent results for our clients and the companies that insure them.
We represent such insurance professionals as:
- Insurance brokers (wholesale and retail)
- Insurance agents
Other Miscellaneous Professionals
Over the years, we have represented a wide assortment of other types of professionals, and we are very confident in our ability to provide excellent representation to members of virtually every kind of profession. As with most cases involving professional liability, it is crucial to identify and consult with qualified experts in the field in order to assess potential exposure for our client. As soon as practicable, we involve the appropriate expert or experts necessary to decide whether to settle or defend a claim. We have assembled an extensive list of highly qualified experts for consultation in litigation. We are also very adept at finding just the right expert to accurately evaluate and effectively testify about the conduct of our clients.
Some of the other kinds of professionals we have represented include:
- Accountants
- Industrial hygienists
- Notaries
- Financial advisors
- Concierge services
- Private investigators
