Legal Ethics
Lawyers Seek Vindication in Document Dustup
Posted Sep 19, 2007, 05:52 am CST
By Debra Cassens Weiss
Former lawyers for Qualcomm Inc. have asked a judge to allow them to reveal privileged information so they can explain why the company failed to produce hundreds of thousands of discovery documents.
Heller Ehrman and Day Casebeer Madrid & Batchelder are responding to an order to show cause why they should not be sanctioned in the patent dispute with Broadcom Corp., the Recorder reports.
"The Heller attorneys believe that they have very compelling exonerating evidence about their role or non-role in the events giving rise to the order to show cause," says the law firm’s motion. "Given the rulings in the proceedings to date and the accompanying publicity, the Heller attorneys seek public vindication, which can only come after a full and complete response to this court's order to show cause."
Magistrate Judge Barbara Major of San Diego will consider the privilege request in a hearing on Sept. 28.