Orange County Trial Lawyers Association Names Klein & Wilson's Mark B. Wilson Trial Attorney of the Year in Legal Malpractice
Klein & Wilson, Orange County's pre-eminent business litigation firm, announced today that partner Mark B. Wilson was recently awarded "Trial Lawyer of the Year in Legal Malpractice" by Orange County Trial Lawyers Association (OCTLA) at its annual Top Gun Awards Program. Held at Laguna Cliffs Marriott Resort & Spa on November 23, the gala was attended by approximately four hundred of Orange County's most esteemed attorneys and judges.
Each year, OCTLA honors local trial attorneys for their exceptional trial skills over the past year. Wilson was at the helm of an arduous legal malpractice case involving a major law firm that provided woefully incompetent counsel to a company embroiled in a wage-related class action. As a result of Wilson's success in the courtroom, the law firm was ordered to disgorge its fees and pay damages totaling $1.8 million to its former client.
"We're thrilled that Mark is being recognized for his exceptional talent in the highly specialized area of legal malpractice," said Klein & Wilson co-founder Gerald A. Klein. "Our 90% success rate and our impeccable reputation are attributed in part to our extraordinarily meticulous trial preparation. Mark's courtroom prowess is second to none, and clients know that in order to take down a big law firm, you need an experienced and tenacious trial lawyer."
The award marks only the second time that OCTLA has recognized a trial win in the area of legal malpractice, with Klein & Wilson earning both nods. Klein was honored in 2009 for his exceptional handling of a case levied against a prominent law firm that mismanaged a critical trade secret case for an established medical staffing company. A jury awarded Klein & Wilson's client nearly $9 million after a two month-long trial.
Gerald Klein and Mark Wilson assert that substantial legal malpractice cases are on the rise. Earlier this year, insurance broker Ames & Gough's eighth annual legal malpractice survey pointed to a surge in larger claims, with 2018 being the first year in which most insurers surveyed had a claim payout of over $150 million.
"Even well-known law firms make mistakes that cost clients millions of dollars in damages," said Wilson. "Clients are becoming more willing to sue lawyers who commit legal malpractice, especially after paying top dollar for legal services."
Klein points to the need for seasoned trial experience when approaching legal malpractice. "If business attorneys are like general practitioners in medical science, experienced legal malpractice trial lawyers are like heart surgeons," said Klein. "You wouldn't go to a general practitioner for open heart surgery."
About Klein & Wilson
Founded in 1994, Klein & Wilson is a Newport Beach-based business trial firm. They represent both plaintiffs and defendants in business and commercial litigation matters including contract, partnership, shareholder, real estate, and intellectual property disputes. The firm also represents clients in legal malpractice and other professional negligence cases.
Klein & Wilson has won more than 90 percent of the cases it has tried, recovered more than $200 million for clients and has won bet-the-company defense verdicts.
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