Sargon Enters., Inc. v. Browne George Ross LLP
Opinion
lead Opinion
Edmon, J.
*754 Respondent Browne George Ross LLP (BGR) represented appellant Sargon Enterprises Inc. (Sargon) in long-running litigation against the University of Southern California (USC). After that litigation concluded, *755 Sargon filed the present legal malpractice action against BGR. BGR petitioned to compel arbitration, and the superior court granted the petition and ordered the parties to arbitrate.
The parties litigated two claims before the arbitrator: Sargon's claim against BGR for legal malpractice, and BGR's claim against Sargon for breach of contract. The breach of contract claim alleged that the parties' arbitration agreement precluded resort to the courts to resolve disputes, and thus that Sargon's filing of the malpractice action constituted a breach of the arbitration agreement.
The arbitrator found Sargon's legal malpractice claim was barred by a release of claims earlier entered into by the parties. The arbitrator also found that Sargon had breached the arbitration agreement by filing the malpractice action in superior court and ordered Sargon to pay BGR damages of $200,000. The trial court confirmed the arbitration award and entered judgment.