In law, malpractice is type of tort in which the misfeasance, mailfeasance or nonfeasance of a professional under a duty to act fails to follow generally accepted professional standards. It is committed by a professional or her/his subordinates on behalf of a client or patient that causes damages to the client or patient. Perhaps the most publicized forms are medical malpractice and legal malpractice by medical practitioners and lawyers respectively, though accountants (Arthur Andersen) and investment advisors (Merrill Lynch) have been in the news lately.
