Barry W. Sufrin v. Gerald D. Hosier, Cross-Appellee

POSNER, Chief Judge.

We have for decision an appeal and a cross-appeal from a split decision in a bitter dispute between two former law partners, Gerald Hosier and Barry Sufrin, patent lawyers who between 1984 and 1989 practiced law as Hosier & Sufrin, Ltd. In 1986 the firm was retained to handle a patent claim of Telesonics Systems Inc. on a contingent-fee basis. The following year Hosier, the more senior of the two lawyers and the one who had “landed” Telesonics as a client, negotiated a lucrative settlement that promised Teleso'nics tens of millions of dollars of patent-licensing fees.’…