Lisa Petrillo, Plaintiff-Respondent v. William G. Bachenberg, Jr.; William G. Bachenberg, Jr.

Summary

The Supreme Court of New Jersey affirmed the Appellate Division, holding that an attorney for a seller may owe a duty of care to a prospective buyer when the attorney knows or should know the buyer will rely on information the attorney provides; thus the trial court erred in dismissing the negligent misrepresentation claim against the attorney. Justice Garibaldi dissented, arguing the duty is too expansive, while Justice Stein concurred, emphasizing the limited factual context of the holding.