Houston family law attorney John F. Nichols Sr. and his firm have settled a $10 million legal malpractice lawsuit filed by a Spring couple and the church they pastor, alleging the defendants engaged in "egregiously bad" lawyering by missing a filing deadline.
On June 29, mediator Donald Hudgins of Houston notified 113th District Judge Patricia Kerrigan of Harris County that a mediation in Hogan v. Nichols "resulted in a settlement of all claims." Nichols, a solo practitioner at Nichols Law, said terms of the settlement are confidential.
"I'm pleased it is over," Nichols said.
Plaintiff's attorney Brian Crockett, of Crockett Law in Houston, did not immediately return a call for comment.
In May 2016, Robert and Brenda Hogan and Spring First Church sued Nichols and his firm, alleging their meritorious case in an underlying suit was dismissed because of the defendants' failure to file a petition of intervention within the statute of limitations. They brought legal malpractice and breach of fiduciary duty causes of action against the defendants and sought up to $10 million in damages.
In his first amended answer filed in March, Nichols denied the allegations and asserted various affirmative defenses.
The suit had been set for trial in August.