Glickman

This is an appeal from a nonsuit granted in favor of the cross-defendants in an attorney malpractice case. The trial court granted the nonsuit after ruling the cross-complainants’ witness was not qualified to testify as an expert. We reverse.

Facts and Proceedings Below

I. The Case in General.

Appellants introduced the following evidence at trial.

In 1983, appellants Glickman and Field (the Field Group) filed a “de novo” application to form a new savings and loan. Because there were about 60 applications ahead of the Field Group it looked doubtful they would receive a charter. Consequently, they reached an agreement with the “Sherman Oaks Group,” which was higher up on the list, to take over its application in process to create Sherman Oaks Savings and Loan. Such a move was risky because the federal regulators were against “line jumping.” In addition, the proposed takeover involved paying money to the Sherman Oaks Group, which the chief counsel for the Department of Savings and Loan viewed as improper. Both parties agreed the respondent, Jeffer, Man-gels & Butler, which was handling the Sherman Oaks application, should remain as counsel for the Field Group as…