California Court of Appeal

In contractors' suit against homeowners for libel and other claims, trial court's grant of plaintiffs' motion to disqualify defendants' counsel based on what they believed was an actual conflict in the joint representation is reversed as, while the decision of a federal district court is not binding on this court, the minority rule in Coyler v. Smith (C.D. Cal. 1990) 50 Supp.2d 966, does not dispense with the standing requirements, and here, the non-client moving parties lack standing to bring a motion to disqualify as they have no legally cognizable interest in plaintiffs' counsel's undivided loyalty to his clients.

Appellate Information

• Decided 07/27/2010
• Published 07/27/2010

Judges

• ALDRICH, J.

Court

• California Court of Appeal

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
• Bruce N. Graham, Harvey I. Stern