Newsletter

Billing for Legal Services Does Not Constitute “Professional Services”

September 2003

A Massachusetts appellate court has held that a legal malpractice policy did not provide coverage for an underlying judgment requiring an attorney to repay amounts that were improperly billed to a client because "the billing function of a lawyer is not a professional service." Reliance Nat'l. Ins. Co. v. Sears, Roebuck & Co., 2003 WL 21742250 (Mass. App. Ct. July 30, 2003).

The insurer provided coverage to an attorney for claims arising "out of the rendering or failure to render professional services for others in the insured's capacity as a lawyer." In an underlying lawsuit, the attorney was found liable to one of his clients for approximately $950,000 in fees that the court found the attorney was not entitled to receive. The appellate court held that the attorney was not entitled to coverage for that amount because billing is not a professional service. The court explained that "[b]illing for legal services does not draw on special learning acquired through rigorous intellectual training.... The billing function is largely ministerial."

For more information, please contact us at 202.719.7130.

Read Time: 1 min
Jump to top of page

Wiley Rein LLP Cookie Preference Center

Your Privacy

When you visit our website, we use cookies on your browser to collect information. The information collected might relate to you, your preferences, or your device, and is mostly used to make the site work as you expect it to and to provide a more personalized web experience. For more information about how we use Cookies, please see our Privacy Policy.

Strictly Necessary Cookies

Always Active

Necessary cookies enable core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility. These cookies may only be disabled by changing your browser settings, but this may affect how the website functions.

Functional Cookies

Always Active

Some functions of the site require remembering user choices, for example your cookie preference, or keyword search highlighting. These do not store any personal information.

Form Submissions

Always Active

When submitting your data, for example on a contact form or event registration, a cookie might be used to monitor the state of your submission across pages.

Performance Cookies

Performance cookies help us improve our website by collecting and reporting information on its usage. We access and process information from these cookies at an aggregate level.

Powered by Firmseek