Texas lawyer's seven-case fee dispute revived after appeals court questions firms' evidence

Losing a professional licence does not necessarily mean losing the right to payment for work already completed. That question became central to a legal dispute involving a former Texas attorney who sought fees and expenses from other law firms for seven client cases he had referred to them while he was still licensed.

The firms argued that paying him after his disbarment would violate professional conduct rules and a Texas Supreme Court order. A lower court accepted their position, dismissing his claims, but an appeals court has now found that the evidence did not establish the firms' defence.In its November 5, 2026, opinion in R Kent Livesay and The Law Office of R Kent Livesay, PC v.

Kaster, Lynch, Farrar & Ball, LLP, the Texas Fourteenth Court of Appeals reversed the summary judgment in favour of the law firms and sent the case back for further proceedings. The ruling, available on Justia under docket number 14-25-00393-CV, did not establish that Livesay was entitled to the disputed money.