ATTORNEY HAD APPARENT AUTHORITY TO SIGN STIPULATION OF SETTLEMENT WHICH THEREFORE BOUND THE PLAINTIFF TO ITS TERMS (SECOND DEPT).
The Second Department, reversing Supreme Court, determined plaintiff’s attorney had apparent authority to sign a stipulation of settlement which was therefore binding on plaintiff:
“A stipulation made by the attorney may bind a client even where it exceeds the attorney’s actual authority if the attorney had apparent authority to enter into the stipulation” … . Here, the plaintiff is bound by the settlement agreement signed by her former attorney. Even if the attorney lacked actual authority to enter into the settlement agreement on the plaintiff’s behalf, a finding that he had the apparent authority to do so is warranted by the facts … . The plaintiff’s former attorney participated in the mediation with the plaintiff’s knowledge and consent, and represented to the mediator and to defense counsel that a representative from his office had spoken with the plaintiff and obtained authority to settle the action for the sum of $150,000. Additionally, the law firm that employed the attorney who participated in the mediation was the plaintiff’s attorney of record in the action, and attorneys from that law firm signed and verified the summons and complaint and signed and certified a note of issue filed in the action … . Amerally v Liberty King Produce, Inc., 2019 NY Slip Op 01550, Second Dept 3-5-19