Opinion ID: 6500405
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Waiver of the attorney’s lien issue

Text: Baker argues that Duffus did not contest the validity of the attorney’s lien in his supplemental briefing before the Marion Bowen court and therefore waived the issue. We disagree. Duffus advanced several arguments against the enforceability of the lien, including that: (1) JLG surrendered its claim for fees against Baker by agreeing to the settlement in which it would be paid directly by Patricia and Northern Trust; (2) an attorney’s lien could not apply because the settlement actually was a buyout of Baker’s interest in Aurora Park and not a fund generated by JLG’s efforts; and (3) the amount due JLG under the settlement included compensation for “matters outside of the subject litigation” for which the firm was not entitled to an attorney’s lien. Duffus did not further litigate the validity of the attorney’s lien in the Marion Bowen court because subsequent proceedings were about the priority of the attorney’s lien against Duffus’s charging order and the Marion Bowen court’s jurisdiction; the lien’s validity was not an issue after the Marion Bowen court ruled that it was valid. Duffus thus did not waive the attorney’s lien issue.