CALENDER SUCCESSFULLY DEFENDS ATTORNEY SUED BY HER CLIENT -- WINS FAVORABLE VERDICT IN LAWSUIT CLAIMING $80,000 FOR BREACH OF CONTRACT, FRAUD, LEGAL MALPRACTICE, CONVERSION AND NEGLIGENCE

Court:  New York Supreme, Queens
Parties: McLean, plaintiff v. Judy Campbell, Esq., defendant

The client in this case is a Queens-based real estate attorney. She represented the plaintiff in a real estate transaction in which he purchased a house. She was also his attorney when he resold the house a short time later. McLean claimed that the purchase and resale of the house generated a net profit of approximately $80,000 which should have been turned over to him, but that Campbell kept most of that money for herself. McLean sued Campbell.

Campbell retained attorney Calender to represent her in the lawsuit and the case proceeded to a jury trial. McLean was represented by two trial lawyers from a Wall Street law firm. During the five-day trial, the judge granted attorney Calender’s application to dismiss most of the claims. The remaining claim was submitted to the jury. After about four hours of deliberations, the jury rendered a verdict in favor of McLean for $15,000 – which is $65,000 less than what he sued for. Although the jury’s verdict does not reflect a complete victory for the client, the basic outcome was a favorable one and highlights attorney Calender’s ability to navigate the complexities of a jury trial involving intricate issues of commercial and contract law. His representation in this case greatly reduced the client’s liability and avoided a result that might have cost her tens of thousands of dollars more than it did.