In July 2012, Stewart A. Sutton was retained as an independent consultant to evaluate a settlement offer in an attorney-client fee dispute case. A Rockville law firm had sued its former clients for $87,772 in fees owed. The former clients had counter-sued for legal malpractice and breach of contract. The Rockville law firm proposed that the parties walk away from each other by dismissing their claims with prejudice. Stewart A. Sutton advised the clients to accept this offer, because they would not be able to prove that the Rockville law firm had either breached the retainer agreement or committed legal malpractice. Unfortunately, the clients rejected this advice. Another attorney represented the former clients at trial in Montgomery County Circuit Court. In May 2013, the jury rendered a verdict in favor of the Rockville law firm for the amount that it was owed and rejected the former clients’ counter-claim.
