Opinion ID: 2508761
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Legal Malpractice Action

Text: In 1998, Brandt sued Elizabeth K. Gooding and her law firm Gooding & Gooding, P.A. (collectively Gooding) for legal malpractice based on Gooding's representation of him in a real estate transaction. During the course of discovery, Brandt presented to his attorney a document (the Edisto Farm letter), which appeared to have been sent by Ronald L. Summers, the Senior Vice President of Edisto Farm Credit (the lender in the transaction) to Brandt on September 18, 1995. Brandt also provided the letter to his malpractice expert. The letter was then introduced in the expert's deposition and used by him to opine that Gooding had committed malpractice. The document, if authentic, would have imputed knowledge to Gooding of a conflict of interest related to the representation of Brandt in the real estate transaction. Gooding, however, claimed the document was fraudulent. As a result, Gooding requested a hearing to determine whether the document was authentic. Additionally, Gooding requested the court hold Brandt in contempt and award costs if such authenticity could not be established. Circuit Court Judge Diane Goodstein delayed a contempt hearing until it could be determined whether the document was authentic. [2] In subsequent motions before Circuit Court Judge Paul M. Burch, Gooding moved for summary judgment, dismissal of the legal malpractice action, and contempt. At the hearing on these motions, [3] Gooding presented an expert in document examination and authenticity who opined that the letter was fraudulent. At the conclusion of the hearing, Judge Burch found Brandt in contempt for committing fraud on the court. As a result, he dismissed Brandt's Complaint as a sanction and granted summary judgment in favor of Gooding. Judge Burch also held Brandt in criminal contempt for perpetrating a fraud upon the court and sentenced him to six months' imprisonment. Approximately one month later, Judge Burch held a hearing regarding additional sanctions against Brandt. By order dated January 9, 2002, Judge Burch memorialized his earlier oral ruling regarding contempt and the concomitant sanctions. On appeal, this Court affirmed Judge Burch's grant of summary judgment to Gooding and his findings of civil and criminal contempt. Brandt v. Gooding, 368 S.C. 618, 629, 630 S.E.2d 259, 264 (2006). Following the issuance of this Court's opinion, Judge Burch held a hearing to establish the amount of attorneys' fees and costs that should be awarded under the prior contempt order of January 9, 2002. On August 13, 2007, he entered an order that required Brandt to pay $255,353.44 to Gooding & Gooding, P.A. and $628,268.49 to Elizabeth K. Gooding. On appeal, this Court reversed Judge Burch's award to Gooding on the ground there was no competent evidence to support the finding that Gooding incurred any attorneys' fees and costs. Brandt v. Gooding , Op. No.2010-MO-010 (Sup.Ct. filed Apr. 12, 2010). As to Gooding & Gooding's award, this Court modified the award holding that the law firm was only entitled to those fees and costs incurred by Respondent law firm from the date Brandt introduced the fraudulent letter (April 4, 2001) to the date the trial court denied Brandt's motion for reconsideration (May 16, 2002)[and] were directly related to Brandt's introduction of the letter. Brandt, slip op. at 2. As a result, we modified the circuit court's order so as to award $80,547.89, plus applicable interest accrued to Gooding & Gooding. Id.