Mehr

INTRODUCTION

Appellant Tina Mehr (Mehr) and respondent Jordana Korbin (Korbin) agreed to arbitrate an attorney fee dispute. At Korbin’s request, the trial court entered judgment confirming the award. Over a year later, Mehr moved to set aside the judgment pursuant to the court’s equitable power to correct extrinsic mistakes. The court denied the motion, reasoning its equitable power was limited only to the default context. We hold the court’s equitable power is not so limited, and remand for the trial court to determine whether Mehr has met the required elements for relief.

FACTS AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

From 2017 to 2020, Mehr represented Korbin in multiple employment litigation matters. In 2020, Korbin reached a global settlement, resolving her claims in exchange for $375,000. Korbin received a net amount of $7,904.141 from those funds, and Mehr received a net amount of $188,563.38, with the remainder held in Mehr’s client trust account pending resolution of a dispute between Korbin and Mehr over Mehr’s bill. Mehr claimed fees and costs amounting to $367,095.86, but Korbin claimed the correct total was $146,898.77—less than Mehr had already received.

1 $7,904.14…