Liang Ly to represent the Association of Corporate Counsel before the California Supreme Court in $3.8 million legal ethics fight between J-M Manufacturing and Shepard Mullin.

On December 2, 2016, Liang Ly filed an amicus brief on behalf of the Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC) in its support of J-M Manufacturing as it opposes Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP’s appeal of a $3.8 million fee forfeiture order at the California Supreme Court.  In the amicus brief, the ACC agreed with J-M Manufacturing that Sheppard Mullin’s boilerplate and open-ended advance conflict waiver should remain invalid—a position also endorsed by a host of other companies and general counsel.  The ACC urged the state’s high court to uphold an earlier appellate ruling shooting down Sheppard Mullin’s advance conflict waiver signed by J-M Manufacturing, a maker of PVC pipes, and ordering the firm to forfeit $3.8 million in fees for the concealment of a known conflict of interest in a false claims case.  Law firms and legal commentators are closely monitoring this high-profile case, which may have important and lasting ramifications for the legal industry.

For additional information about this matter, please contact: John K. Ly  or Jason L. Liang.

Practice(s):  Appeals