Joseph Pressil v. Jason A. Gibson, Jason A. Gibson, P.C. D/B/A the Gibson Law Firm, Clifford D. Peel, II, and Andrew C. Smith's
Plaintiff Joseph Pressil brought a legal malpractice action against Jason A. Gibson, Jason A. Gibson, P.C. d/b/a The Gibson Law Firm, Clifford D. Peel, II, and Andrew C. Smith (lawyers). Pressil claimed the lawyers were negligent in handling a lawsuit against a fertility clinic for inseminating his former girlfriend, Anetria Burnette, with his sperm without his knowledge or consent, leading to the birth of twins. The trial court granted the lawyers' motion for summary judgment on the professional negligence claim, finding that Pressil could not recover damages from the fertility clinic as a matter of law, nor did the clinic owe him a duty. The lawyers argue for the appellate court to affirm the summary judgment, contending that Pressil cannot legally claim damages for raising healthy children or for mental anguish related to 'dealing with' the children's mother, and that the fertility clinic owed no duty to Pressil, a non-patient sperm donor, under Texas law.