Sometimes the hardest aspect of an appeal is determining exactly why a judge tossed out a client’s case. And that’s what Scott Lisman says he faced before convincing Houston’s 14th Court of Appeals to reverse and remand a trial court decision that had granted summary judgment on his client’s legal malpractice claim.

The background to Shelli Flores v. Richard Tholstrup is as follows, according to the 14th Court’s Jan. 17 opinion.