Opinion ID: 1830231
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: FACTUAL BACKGROUND OF BOWERS v. DOUGHERTY

Text: On August 15, 1994, the Bowerses brought a legal malpractice suit against Dougherty regarding his handling of the Norwest litigation, specifically his argument at the hearing regarding the motion for new trial on August 17, 1992. Dougherty filed a third-party petition against attorney Timothy K. Kelso and Harris, Feldman, Stumpf Law Offices (Harris, Feldman) as third-party defendants. The Bowerses moved for partial summary judgment on the issues of liability and proximate cause. Dougherty moved for full summary judgment in his favor. Included in Dougherty's exhibits in support of his motion for summary judgment was the affidavit of attorney Wallace Richardson, an expert witness on behalf of Dougherty. The court granted summary judgment on the issue of negligence in favor of the Bowerses, but determined that genuine issues of material fact existed as to whether Dougherty's negligence proximately caused any damage to the Bowerses. The court overruled Dougherty's motion for summary judgment. The finding that Dougherty was negligent has not been challenged on appeal. On June 17, 1998, Dougherty renewed his motion for summary judgment on the issue of proximate cause, based on Baker v. Fabian, Thielen & Thielen, 254 Neb. 697, 578 N.W.2d 446 (1998). In this motion, the expert testimony of Richardson was specifically withdrawn and not included as an exhibit. This motion for summary judgment was also overruled. By agreement of the parties, the matter was then submitted to the court without a jury upon all the exhibits submitted in all previous hearings and motions. The evidence disclosed the following: Ortman testified in his deposition that Harris, Feldman, of which Harris was a partner, had offices located across the hall from Ortman in 1989 when Norwest instituted suit against the Bowerses. Harris came to Ortman and asked him to assist with the Norwest litigation. Ortman testified that [Harris] felt he might be a witness in the thing, and he wanted me to help him with it. Ortman also testified that while he became involved on behalf of the Bowerses, Harris, Feldman firm did everything. It was a situation where if something came to us, it went across the hall to Harris, Feldman. Ortman also testified that [n]othing was done without [Harris, Feldman's] permission, approval. Ortman billed only the Bowerses for his services, and the Bowerses paid Ortman and Dougherty. Ortman further testified that the appellate brief in the Norwest litigation filed on behalf of the Bowerses was prepared by Harris' son and Kelso, who were both employed by Harris, Feldman. This appellate brief was submitted to this court by Ortman. Ortman further testified that although Dougherty was second chair during trial and argued the Bowerses' motion for new trial, Dougherty had no subsequent involvement in the preparation or filing of the appellate brief, nor was he involved in oral argument. Dougherty testified in his deposition that he had no involvement with the Bowerses' appeal because his employment relationship with Ortman ended before work began on the appeal. Dougherty also stated that prior to the August 17, 1992, hearing on the motion for new trial, Dougherty discussed the motion at length with Kelso. Kelso instructed Dougherty that if the court was not willing to rule on the motion for new trial immediately, Dougherty should ask for leave to withdraw the motion so that either way, the Bowerses could immediately file their appeal. Kelso did not instruct Dougherty to request that the court overrule the motion for new trial. On August 17, 1992, while arguing the motion for new trial, Dougherty stated, I'd ask the Court to just simply overrule our motion for new trial at this time, your Honor. At the close of his argument, Dougherty stated again, [W]e would like to file a Notice of Appeal today if the Court would like to overrule our motion for new trial. This invitation by Dougherty for the court to overrule the Bowerses' motion for new trial is what led to the dismissal of the Bowerses' appeal in Norwest Bank Neb. v. Bowers, 246 Neb. 83, 516 N.W.2d 623 (1994). On January 27, 1999, the district court in this case ruled in Dougherty's favor, finding that Dougherty's negligence did not proximately cause any damage suffered by the Bowerses. The court considered each assignment of error presented by the Bowerses' brief in the Norwest litigation and concluded that the Bowerses would not have prevailed on any of the issues. Therefore, even if Dougherty had properly argued the motion for new trial, the Bowerses would not have prevailed on appeal. The Bowerses appeal from this judgment in favor of Dougherty.