Malpractice
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.