Perrucci v. CIGNA Insurance — 256 A.D.2d 87

Majority

p. 87

Michael J. Perrucci, Individually and on Behalf of Mudge Rose Guthrie Alexander & Ferdon, Appellant, v CIGNA Insurance Company, Respondent.

[681 NYS2d 250]

—Order, Supreme Court, New York County (Herman Cahn, J.), entered September 8, 1997, which granted defendants’ motion to dismiss plaintiff’s complaint for failure to state a cause of action, unanimously affirmed, without costs.

A client has the right “to terminate the attorney-client relationship at any time with or without cause” (Matter of Cooperman, 83 NY2d 465 , 472; see also, Demov, Morris, Levin & Shein v Glantz, 53 NY2d 553 , 556). Plaintiff, who does not claim to fall within the two limited exceptions to the rule (see, Atkins & O’Brien v ISS International Serv. Sys., 252 AD2d 446 , 448) may not. circumvent the general rule by recasting his cause of action as a prima facie tort (see, Ullman v Norma Kamali, Inc., 207 AD2d 691 , 692; Fisher v Maxwell Communications Corp., 205 AD2d 356 , 357). Plaintiff failed to preserve his current claim that leave to replead should have been granted, which in

p. 88

any case would have been inappropriate (see, Ceres v Shearson Lehman Bros., 227 AD2d 222 ). Concur — Sullivan, J. P., Rosenberger, Wallach and Mazzarelli, JJ.

Cases cited

In re Cooperman 83 NY2d 465 N.Y. 1994-03-17 at 472 p. 87
Demov, Morris, Levin & Shein v. Glantz 53 NY2d 553 N.Y. 1981-10-22 at 556 p. 87
Atkins & O'Brien L. L. P. v. ISS International Service System, Inc. 252 AD2d 446 N.Y. App. Div. 1998-07-23 at 448 p. 87
Ceres v. Shearson Lehman Bros. 227 AD2d 222 N.Y. App. Div. 1996-05-14 p. 88