The Cochran Firm v. Seck CA2/4

INTRODUCTION

An attorney and her law firm entered into a fee sharing agreement before she left the firm. The agreement addressed the compensation the attorney would receive for the cases on which she had worked that would remain with the law firm after her departure. The law firm filed a complaint seeking a declaration that the agreement was unenforceable. The trial court denied the law firm’s subsequent motion for summary judgment, finding that the law firm was not entitled to a declaration in its favor. After the law firm then refused to pay the attorney pursuant to the fee sharing agreement, the attorney filed a cross- complaint for breach of contract. The trial court granted the attorney’s motion for summary judgment, finding that the agreement was enforceable and that the law firm breached the agreement, causing the attorney to suffer damages. We agree and affirm the judgment.

FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

Ibiere Seck is an attorney and was employed at the Cochran Firm until December 31, 2018. After leaving the Cochran Firm, Seck established her own law firm, Seck Law,

P.C.

2 Prior to her departure from the Cochran Firm, in December 2018, Seck and Brian Dunn, the…