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From fee disputes to allegations of negligent advice, lawyers are facing more malpractice claims from disgruntled former clients. According to a 2011 survey of legal malpractice insurers, malpractice claims spiked as much as 20 percent compared to the prior year. Dallas attorney Nicole LeBoeuf, a partner at Shackelford Melton & McKinley who frequently defends lawyers in malpractice claims, says increased interest in legal malpractice is affected by a number of factors, including a sputtering economy. "In better economic times, people are more likely to move on than to place blame after a deal goes south," LeBoeuf says. "There's more at stake in a down economy and lawyers increasingly are finding themselves blamed when parties try to recoup losses." For more information, contact Robert Tharp at 800-559-4534 or robert@androvett.com.