Kourouvacilis v. American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees

This case involves a novel issue: whether an attorney forfeits his right to his charging lien (under G. L. c. 221, § 50) by virtue of being suspended from the practice of law by the Supreme Judicial Court for unethical conduct in a separate litigation when that misconduct was related to, and arguably caused harm to, his client’s interests in the case in which the lien is sought to be enforced. We affirm a Superior Court judge’s summary judgment ruling that, in the circumstances presented, the attorney cannot enforce the lien, although we do so on different grounds from those relied on by the…