Los Angeles Dodgers owner Frank McCourt is free to bring a malpractice case against Bingham McCutchen over claims the firm mishandled the preparation of financial papers for McCourt and his now-estranged wife. A Massachusetts judge has dismissed the firm’s lawsuit, which had asked the court to declare that its legal work for him was up to par.

A lawyer for Bingham McCutchen tried to convince a Massachusetts judge Monday that state law allows the firm to bring a declaratory judgment action attempting to stop Los Angeles Dodgers owner Frank McCourt Jr. from suing the firm for malpractice.

An arbitrator has ordered Bingham McCutchen to pay about $1.9 million to a recruiter for his role in the firm’s merger with McKee Nelson. At issue was the applicability of an agreement governing the recruiter’s placement of lateral attorneys at Bingham.

Ever since a judge invalidated an agreement that could have resolved a dispute between Frank and Jamie McCourt about who owns the Los Angeles Dodgers, legal experts have been warning that the ruling puts Bingham McCutchen at risk of a malpractice claim.

Bingham McCutchen expanded its energy and project finance practice in New York on Monday by hiring the co-chair of Fulbright & Jaworski’s global infrastructure group.