Lawyers argued before the New Jersey Supreme Court on Wednesday over whether the entire-controversy doctrine requires a legal malpractice action to be lodged as a defense or counterclaim concurrently with a law firm’s suit to collect legal fees.

The case is Dimitrakopoulos v. Borrus, Goldin, Foley, Vignuolo, Hyman & Stahl, a legal malpractice case filed by former clients of a law firm three years after resolution of the firm’s collection suit related to its representation of the same clients.