Pockrus v. Morris

Cite as 2017 Ark. App. 293ARKANSAS COURT OF APPEALS
DIVISION IV
No. CV-15-974
SIMON POCKRUS Opinion Delivered May 10, 2017
APPELLANT
APPEAL FROM THE BENTON COUNTY
V. CIRCUIT COURT
[NO. CV-14-741]
VICTORIA MORRIS
APPELLEE HONORABLE BRAD KARREN, JUDGE
DISMISSED WITHOUT PREJUDICE
BRANDON J. HARRISON, Judge
Simon Pockrus sued his former attorney Victoria Morris for legal malpractice arising
out of her representation of him in divorce proceedings. He appeals a jury verdict in favor
of Victoria, but we lack jurisdiction over the appeal and must dismiss it.
This litigation began when Victoria sued Simon seeking payment for her outstanding
bill for legal services. Simon counterclaimed, alleging legal malpractice and suing for breach
of contract, fraud, negligence, and breach of fiduciary duty. On the eve of trial, Victoria
dismissed without prejudice her request for outstanding legal fees pursuant to Arkansas Rule
of Civil Procedure 41(a). The case proceeded to a jury trial on Simon’s counterclaim, and
the jury rendered a verdict in Victoria’s favor that was reduced to judgment. Simon
appealed.
Here we address whether the voluntary dismissal of Victoria’s complaint against
Simon pursuant to Arkansas Rule of Civil Procedure 41(a) was sufficient to achieve finality
Cite as 2017 Ark. App. 293when coupled with the subsequent jury verdict against Simon’s counterclaim. A final order
is necessary for this court to have jurisdiction on appeal. Ark. R. App. P.–Civ. 2(a)(1);
Cherry v. Cherry, 2017 Ark. App. 245 (per curiam). Pursuant to Arkansas Rule of Civil
Procedure 54(b), an order or judgment is not considered final and appealable unless it
disposes of all the parties and all the claims. Bevans v. Deutsche Bank Nat’l Tr. Co., 373 Ark.
105, 281 S.W.3d 740 (2008). In Bevans, our supreme court considered whether the
voluntary dismissal of a compulsory counterclaim was sufficient to achieve finality and
determined that it was not. Id. The court reasoned that a voluntary nonsuit leaves a party
free to refile his or her claim, and “if a party is free to refile his or her compulsory
counterclaims that arise out of the same transaction or occurrence as claims that are decided
by the circuit court, the possibility for piecemeal litigation exists.” Id. at 109, 281 S.W.3d
at 744. This case is different procedurally because it deals with a plaintiff’s nonsuited
complaint instead of a defendant’s nonsuited compulsory counterclaim, but the
jurisdictional principle here is essentially the same as in Bevans.
Arkansas Rule of Civil Procedure 41(a) gives Victoria the right to refile her claim
against Simon. Because she may refile her claim, the circuit court’s order is not final.
Dismissed without prejudice.
GLADWIN and MURPHY, JJ., agree.
Harry McDermott, for appellant.
Burke Law Firm, P.A., by: Brian T. Burke, for appellee.
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