Beck

In these consolidated appeals we consider whether counsel who associate to concurrently represent clients owe each other a fiduciary duty, or only owe a duty of loyalty to the clients. In a related matter, we consider whether such counsel can be considered to have entered into a joint venture, allowing one to seek indemnity from the other under the Uniform Partnership Act. The trial court answered each of these questions in the negative, and granted summary judgment motions for the defendants in each action. We affirm.

In 1992 Michael and Robert Stephens hired Attorney Daniel Beck to represent them in a lawsuit against General Motors, to recover for serious injuries the Stephenses sustained when the pick-up truck they were riding in rolled over and burst into flames. With the Stephenses' consent, Beck associated Texas Attorney L.L. McBee into the case, because McBee had experience prosecuting what was known as "side-saddle" gas tank cases against General Motors. Again with agreement of the clients, McBee and Beck associated Attorney Ronald Wecht and his law firm, Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Escheverria (collectively Wecht), as local trial counsel. By separate written…