Wright v. Williams
California Court of Appeal
121 Cal. Rptr. 194 (1975)

- Written by Alex Ruskell, JD
Facts
Rogers Wright (plaintiff) was interested in buying the Kona Sea, a vessel, in order to form a business offering cruises. Wright consulted Reed Williams (defendant), who represented himself as a specialist in admiralty law. Williams helped consummate the sale. However, Williams failed to notice that the Kona Sea had once been owned by a Mexican national. Under the Merchant Marine Act of 1920, vessels once owned by a foreign national could not be used for Wright’s intended purpose. When Wright discovered the mistake, he sued Williams for malpractice. Wright offered no expert testimony regarding the standard of care of an attorney practicing admiralty law. Consequently, the court found that Wright had failed to support his claim. Wright appealed.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Thompson, J.)
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