Opinion ID: 1925900
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: McClafferty v. Nernberg, et al.

Text: After McClafferty had accepted the offer made by Infil Corporation, Richards filed a lis pendens notice of a claim for specific performance of the alleged contract with McClafferty. As a result, Infil was unable to obtain title insurance, and its closing with McClafferty was delayed. McClafferty then filed an action against Nernberg for interference with contract and slander of title. [2] Nernberg joined Davis and Abramovitz as additional defendants. The averments of the defendant's complaint were that the attorneys had negligently advised McClafferty to reject offers of settlement made by Richards and Infil, and that it had been this negligent advice which had caused the damages allegedly sustained by McClafferty. The trial court granted summary judgment in favor of Davis and Abramovitz, the additional defendants, on the ground that the defendant had failed to demonstrate a valid cause of action against them. Pa.R.C.P. 2252(a), which enumerates those circumstances in which an additional defendant may be joined, provides as follows: (a) In any action the defendant or any additional defendant may, as the joining party, join as an additional defendant any person whether or not a party to the action who may be alone liable or liable over to him on the cause of action declared upon by the plaintiff or jointly or severally liable thereon with him, or who may be liable to the joining party on any cause of action which he may have against the joined party arising out of the transaction or occurrence or series of transactions or occurrences upon which the plaintiff's cause of action is based. Under this rule, an additional defendant may be joined by a defendant if the additional defendant is alone liable to the plaintiff or liable over to the defendant on the cause of action alleged by the plaintiff or jointly liable on that cause of action with the defendant. An additional defendant may also be joined by a defendant if the additional defendant is liable to the defendant on any cause of action which the defendant may have against the additional defendant arising out of the same transaction upon which plaintiff's cause of action is based. In the instant case, the defendant attempted to join the plaintiff's attorneys on the grounds that they were guilty of malpractice in failing to recommend settlement to their client. However, the defendant can have no cause of action against the attorneys because of advice which the attorneys gave their client. The general rule is that an attorney cannot be held liable for negligence to a third person with whom he has no contract of employment. Smith v. Griffiths, 327 Pa.Super. 418, 476 A.2d 22 (1984). Under this rule, therefore, Nernberg can have no cause of action against the attorneys for advice which they gave to their client regarding offers to settle. It is the litigant and not the attorney who is the master of his cause of action, and he may press it to the end regardless of the facts and law arrayed against him. Senyshyn v. Karlak, 450 Pa. 535, 539, 299 A.2d 294, 296 (1973). The attorney cannot release the client's claim or compromise the litigation without special authority to do so. Id., quoting McLaughlin v. Monaghan, 290 Pa. 74, 78, 138 A. 79, 80 (1927). It follows that the attorney cannot be liable to the third party adversary because of the client's refusal to settle a claim. Appellant's attempt to join the attorneys on the ground that they were solely liable to McClafferty, their client, or jointly liable with appellant must also be rejected. To attempt to interject a legal malpractice claim and compel the plaintiff to seek recovery against her attorneys because of alleged negligent advice regarding settlement was clearly improper and outside the joinder permitted by Pa.R.C.P. 2252(a). The plaintiff did not assert a claim for malpractice against her attorneys, and the defendant will not be allowed to force her to do so in her action against the defendant. Pa.R.C.P. 2252(a) permits joinder of an additional defendant on grounds that the additional defendant is solely liable to the plaintiff on the cause of action alleged in the complaint or on the grounds that the additional defendant is jointly liable with the defendant on the cause of action alleged in the complaint. [3] Although the phrase cause of action declared upon by the plaintiff has been broadly construed, see 8 Goodrich-Amram 2d § 2252(a):6, it does not permit the joinder of plaintiff's attorneys on the grounds that their malpractice in recommending rejection of an offer of settlement has contributed to the plaintiff's loss. This is an entirely separate cause of action and cannot be made the basis for joining the attorneys as additional defendants. Counsel's malpractice, even if it existed, would not render them jointly liable with defendant on the cause of action alleged by the plaintiff, and plaintiff, apparently satisfied with the services rendered by her attorneys, has not made any claim against her attorneys. To permit the defendant to join the attorneys as additional defendants on the grounds that their advice regarding settlement contributed to plaintiff's loss would have unfortunate consequences. The rule does not permit it and neither do we. The trial court did not err when it disallowed the joinder and dismissed the claim against the additional defendants. The orders of the trial court entering summary judgments are affirmed.