In an Oct. 15 unpublished opinion, a three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a trial court ruling that upheld an insurance company’s right to select defense counsel to represent Houston-based Coats Rose Yale Ryman & Lee in a legal malpractice suit. The insurer does not need to reimburse Coats Rose for the legal fees it paid to counsel the firm selected, the appeals court affirmed.
In a March 5 brief filed with the 5th Circuit in Coats Rose Yale Ryman & Lee v. Navigators Specialty Insurance Co., the firm alleged the following: The firm and others were sued in state court in Dallas on June 15, 2010. The causes of action against the firm included malpractice and breach of fiduciary duty, allegations the firm denied.
