Malpractice/Negligence Claims Can Not Be Brought By Party Not In Privity with Law Firm

The Second Department dismissed a complaint against a law firm for malpractice because the law firm was not in privity with the plaintiffs with respect to the real estate transactions at issue.  The law firm represented the defendant in the transactions:

The law firm established, prima facie, its entitlement to judgment as a matter of law dismissing the third and fourth causes of action. In this regard, the law firm submitted evidence demonstrating that it was not in privity with the plaintiffs with respect to the subject transactions. “In New York, a third party, without privity, cannot maintain a claim against an attorney in professional negligence, absent fraud, collusion, malicious acts or other special circumstances'” … . Accordingly, the law firm established its entitlement to judgment as a matter of law dismissing the negligence cause of action. Moreover, the law firm submitted evidence demonstrating that it made no material misrepresentations to the plaintiffs …, thus establishing its entitlement to judgment as a matter of law dismissing the fraud cause of action. In opposition, the plaintiffs failed to raise a triable issue of fact … . Therefore, the Supreme Court should have granted that branch of the law firm’s motion which was for summary judgment dismissing the third and fourth causes of action.  Zinnanti v 513 Woodward Ave Realty, LLC, 2013 NY Slip Op 02244, 2011-10407, Index No 3092/10, 2nd Dept 4-3-13