A.W. Wright & Associates, P.C. v. Glover, Anderson, Chandler & Uzick, L.L.P

In A.W. Wright & Associates, P.C. v. Glover, Anderson, Chandler & Uzick, L.L.P., 993 S.W.2d 466 (Tex. App.--Houston 14th Dist. 1999, pet. denied), the appellant, Wright & Associates, was the successor to a law firm whose principal, Joseph Weiss, had been disbarred. Id. at 467. After Weiss was disbarred, Glover Anderson obtained a summary judgment declaring that portions of the referral agreements between it and A.W. Wright & Associates were void on the grounds that Weiss was unable to perform the day-to-day handling of cases as contemplated under the agreements; as a result, Glover Anderson was relieved of its contractual obligation to share attorney's fees with Weiss. Id. at 468. In its summary-judgment motion, Glover Anderson relied in part on language in the referral contracts which recited that "the day to day handling of the above referenced case will be handled by Frances Cisneros and Belinda Gonzales in our office" to show that Weiss had not yet finished his legal work for the clients at the time of the referral. In response, Weiss argued that all legal work on the referral contracts was completed at the time of the referral to Glover Anderson, and the description of activities Glover Anderson relied on referred only to administrative matters. Id. at 469-70. The Court found the language of the referral agreements ambiguous, and so reversed Glover Anderson's summary judgment. Id. at 470-71.