N.C. Judge Throws Out All Malpractice Charges in Attorney Free-for-All

A federal judge in North Carolina has thrown out all attorney malpractice charges exchanged in a free-for-all battle in which a woman hired a new lawyer to sue her previous two sets of attorneys and those law firms accused the new attorney � and each other � of negligence.

In the process of sorting out and throwing out each claim, the judge addressed an issue of first impression under North Carolina law. He found that a client's previous counsel cannot sue the succeeding lawyer for negligence for failing to preserve the client's right to appeal.

I think this is what military people call a "goat fuck." Details here from Frank Reynolds of the Professional Liability Litigation Reporter via Findlaw.com.