Paralegal Sues Holland & Knight for Raising Conflict that Cost Her a Job
A paralegal has sued Holland & Knight for tortious interference for raising concerns about a conflict of interest caused by her planned move to a new law firm.
Paralegal Patricia Dillman had landed a new $200,000 job at Hughes Hubbard & Reed when the offer was abruptly withdrawn because of the potential conflict, which was caused by her work on an oil-spill case. She filed suit in Washington, D.C., superior court in November, reports the BLT: The Blog of Legal Times.
Dillman and Holland differ on her involvement in the litigation. Dillman, the director of Holland’s litigation support group, says she billed less than 15 hours to find e-discovery companies to work on the case. Holland says the knowledge she gained in her work could result in a breach of client confidentiality.
Holland represents the Spanish government in the suit, which contends the American Bureau of Shipping was negligent in classifying a ship as able to haul fuel. Hughes represents the shipping bureau.
A federal judge dismissed the Spanish suit yesterday, saying it should be tried in the country’s own courts, the blog reports.
