Hotel Assocs. Inc. v. Rieves, Rubens & Mayton

When attorney Kent Rubens, now deceased, was a general partner in the law firm of Rieves, Rubens and Mayton (RRM) Rubens entered into an oral contingency-fee agreement for legal services rendered to Hotel Associates, Inc. (Hotel). Hotel later filed suit against RRM and other defendants, contending that the oral contingency-fee agreement was unenforceable as against public policy. RRM counterclaimed for breach of contract. The circuit court granted RRM’s motion for summary judgment on all of Hotel’s claims and on RRM’s counterclaim and awarded RRM prejudgment interest. The Supreme Court affirmed, holding that the circuit court did not err in (1) ruling that oral contingency-fee agreements are enforceable in Arkansas; (2) granting summary judgment for RRM because no material issues of genuine fact remained in dispute; and (3) granting RRM’s motion for prejudgment interest. View "Hotel Assocs. Inc. v. Rieves, Rubens & Mayton" on Justia Law