HACKARD & HOLT IN THE NEWS
The firm of Hackard & Holt made an indelible mark in the area of California legal ethics with the recent decision in Adams v. Aerojet (2001) 86 Cal.App.4th 1324. The opinion modernized the unsettled and outdated disqualification standard for attorneys who attempt to take on representation adverse to a client of their former firm after that attorney has since left the firm. Under the old standard, companies such as Aerojet were allowed to delay and frustrate a large amount of plaintiffs and their attorneys simply by bringing motions to disqualify plaintiffs' counsel due to the fact that one of the lawyers in the firm had previously worked at a firm which had Aerojet as a client. This rule would apply in a situation wherein the attorney had no actual knowledge of the fact that his former firm represented Aerojet and had not performed any legal services for Aerojet.
The Adams decision is extremely important as it drastically limits a well-financed defendant's ability to hold up litigation for non-sensical and unmeritorious reasons. The decision is also a victory for plaintiffs as it allows them to utilize the attorney of their choice without running the risk that the attorney may be disqualified for reasons that have nothing to do with justice or ethical responsibility. Lastly, the case is a victory for the California legal community as it allows attorneys to freely travel from one firm to another without being haunted by the possibility that their new firm could be disqualified from litigation simply because the attorney worked at a firm that performed services for a client that is now adverse to the attorney's new firm.
Complete text of the Appellate decision »
(In Acrobat PDF)
TeleVantage Customer Profile (Acrobat PDF)
Artisoft, Inc. - 3/18/2003
Lawyers Pursue Clients On Web
Sacramento Bee - 1/28/2003
Michael Hackard, Founding Member of McGeorge School of Law Dean's Cabinet
McGeorge School of Law - January 2003
Defense lawyers, ethics experts torn between awe, exasperation
The Recorder - 5/2/2001
News coverage of the Adams v. Aerojet decision and it's impact.
Leading Rezulin Attorney Representing W. Virginia Woman in Lawsuit Against Warner-Lambert
PR Newswire Association - 11/10/00
This article features a Hackard & Holt case involving a woman in West Virginia suffering from severe liver damage due to diabetes treatment Rezulin.
FDA Meeting Concerning Rezulin
Food and Drug Administration - 5/19/00
Transcript of Michael Hackard's presentation before the FDA Advisory Committee.
Leading Rezulin Attorney Urges FDA to Revamp Drug Reporting Process
Rezulin e-Resource - 5/19/00
Coverage of Michael Hackard's presentation before the FDA Advisory Committee.
Attorney is bad news for bad drugs
Sacramento Bee - 5/15/00
A story depicting the rise of Hackard & Holt to nationally recognized specialists in drug manufacturer cases.
Las Vegas man sues over drug for diabetes
Las Vegas Review-Journal - 5/5/00
This article features coverage of a Hackard & Holt case against Warner-Lambert, Inc., makers of the drug Rezulin.
At California Hospital, Red Flags and an FBI Raid
Washingtonpost.com - 7/25/05
This article features coverage of a Hackard & Holt case against the Redding Medical Center.