United States Fifth Circuit

Where plaintiffs' attorneys negotiated a settlement containing a confidentiality clause, then publicly exposed the terms of the settlement by filing an unsealed motion to enforce, the court may change the percentage of fees in the contingency fee agreement and impose other penalties using its inherent power to sanction.

Appellate Information

• Decided 05/17/2001
• Published 05/17/2001

Judges

• CARL E. STEWART, Circuit Judge:, Before POLITZ, DeMOSS and STEWART, Circuit Judges.

Court

• United States Fifth Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
• Patricia B. Lehtola (argued), Lehtola & Associates, Penny Lea Raney, Steven Richard Dunn, Clark & Company, Donal Ray Schmidt, Raney & Schmidt, Dallas, TX, for Toon.


• For Appellees:
  
• Nancy Lynne Patterson, Mark Douglas Temple (argued), Littler Mendelson, Houston, TX, Jimmy Derek Braziel, Littler Mendelson, Dallas, TX, for Defendants-Appellees.