A majority of the Connecticut Court of Appeals reversed part of a trial court’s dismissal of a client’s civil claims against his attorneys, finding his complaints in an underlying criminal case regarding fee disputes and forfeiture agreements weren’t barred by the “exoneration rule.”

Barry Pringle, who represented himself in the civil lawsuit, retained Pattis & Smith attorneys Norman Pattis, Frederick M. O’Brien and Daniel M. Erwin to represent him in an underlying matter involving a slew of criminal charges, including promoting prostitution, possession of narcotics with intent to sell, sale of narcotics, and attempted murder, according to the appellate court’s majority opinion, which was officially released Tuesday.