Austin litigators won an appeal in an attorney fee dispute with clients alleging lawyers failed to advise about a potential claim against a Big Law firm because of close relationships between attorneys at the two firms.

The ruling Wednesday from Austin’s Third Court of Appeals means that Howry, Breen & Herman will keep a nearly $200,000 judgment in the fee dispute, and that the clients have again lost their breach of fiduciary duty counterclaim against the law firm.