Supreme Court of California

Disqualification of a city attorney and his office from representing a municipality against a company in a case alleging fraud, statutory violations, and breach of contract is affirmed where the city attorney had previously represented the company defendant, and thus, he and his entire office must be disqualified.

Appellate Information

• Decided 06/05/2006
• Published 06/05/2006

Judges

• KENNARD, J.

Court

• Supreme Court of California

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
• Dennis J. Herrera, City Attorney, Jesse C. Smith, Chief Assistant City Attorney, Therese M. Stewart, Chief Deputy City Attorney, Claire Sylvia and Ellen Forman, Deputy City Attorneys, for Plaintiffs and Appellants., Bill Lockyer, Attorney General, Jacob Appelsmith, Assistant Attorney General, Barbara J. Seidman and Kenneth L. Swenson, Deputy Attorneys General, as Amici Curiae on behalf of Plaintiffs and Appellants., Ann Miller Ravel, County Counsel (Santa Clara) and Lizanne Reynolds, Deputy County Counsel, for County of Santa Clara, California State Association of Counties and League of California Cities as Amici Curiae on behalf of Plaintiffs and Appellants., Steven M. Woodside, County Counsel (Sonoma) for California State Association of Counties and League of California Cities as Amici Curiae on behalf of Plaintiffs and Appellants., Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, Rex S. Heinke, Edward P. Lazarus and Seth M.M. Stodder, Los Angeles, for Children's Law Center of Los Angeles as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Plaintiffs and Appellants., David C. Coleman, Public Defender (Contra Costa) and Ron Boyer, Deputy Public Defender, for California Public Defenders Association as Amici Curiae.


• For Appellees:
  
• Keker & Van Nest, Gonzalez & Leigh, Ethan A. Balogh, G. Whitney Leigh, Nima Nami, Bryan W. Vereschagin, Rita A. Hao, Juan Enrique Pearce, San Francisco, and Eumi K. Lee, for Defendants and Respondents.