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An Exception That Could Swallow the Rule of Qualified Immunity

Traditional attorney immunity to suits by non-clients is under a new line of attack that threatens to vitiate the general rule. The threat is exemplified by a recent insurance-related decision of the Arizona Court of Appeals, <i>Chalpin v. Snyder</i>, wherein the court largely ignored the customary exceptions and permitted non-clients to pursue causes of action against attorneys for aiding and abetting breaches of fiduciary duty by their client.

70 minute read September 29, 2009 at 12:48 AM
By
Jon T. Neumann
An Exception That Could Swallow the Rule of Qualified Immunity

Attorneys have historically enjoyed a measure of immunity that shields them from suits by non-clients for alleged injury arising from legal advice provided to their clients.

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