Deposition

Lawyer’s conduct must be ‘seriously’ annoying to warrant restraining order, appeals court says

Updated: A lawyer who accused another attorney of yelling and glaring at her, ranting “in an unintelligible manner” and serving her with bogus documents is not entitled to a permanent restraining order, a California appeals court has ruled.

Jul 3, 2024 9:14 AM CDT

Judge denies dueling requests for sanctions in Elon Musk defamation case

A Texas judge has denied a bid for sanctions claiming that BigLaw partner Alex Spiro “brazenly” appeared at a deposition for Tesla CEO Elon Musk without pro hac vice permission and then acted in “an obnoxious manner.”

Jun 3, 2024 8:56 AM CDT

Lawyer who missed deposition while viewing solar eclipse should pay $7,800 sanction, litigant says

The additional cost of viewing a total solar eclipse in Arkansas could amount to more than $7,800 for a Florida lawyer who missed a deposition with his client.

May 16, 2024 9:34 AM CDT

Lawyer seeking sanctions ‘descended into schoolyard antics’ at deposition, Quinn Emanuel says

Alex Spiro, a partner with Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, may have given some responses that "were pointed at times" during a deposition of his client Tesla CEO Elon Musk. But it was in response to the opposing lawyer’s "insults, shouting, interruptions and violations" of a court order, according to the law firm’s opposition to a sanctions motion.

Apr 22, 2024 11:09 AM CDT

‘Sense of entitlement’ led BigLaw partner to ‘brazenly’ appear at deposition and act ‘obnoxious,’ sanctions bid says

Alex Spiro, a partner with Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, wrongly appeared at a Texas deposition without pro hac vice permission and then proceeded to act in a “ridiculously unprofessional” manner, according to a sanctions motion by a Los Angeles man suing Tesla CEO Elon Musk for alleged defamation.

Apr 10, 2024 10:27 AM CDT

2 lawyers and client die in law office shooting; 1 attorney was alleged gunman

Updated: A lawyer and his wife were shot and killed during a deposition at the office of the Prince Law Group in Las Vegas on Monday. Police think that the suspect, identified in multiple reports as the opposing lawyer, then fatally shot himself.

Apr 9, 2024 10:09 AM CDT

Client escapes sanction for lawyer’s refusal to appear on camera in Zoom deposition

A client won’t have to pay a sanction of nearly $10,000 for his lawyer’s refusal to appear on camera during a remote deposition, a California appeals court ruled Tuesday.

Jan 25, 2024 12:01 PM CST

Arizona lawmakers who opposed depositions on tougher voting laws fail to win Supreme Court stay

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday refused to block a federal judge’s decision to allow depositions of two Republican legislative leaders in Arizona who intervened to defend laws passed last year that require would-be voters to provide proof of citizenship.

Nov 28, 2023 10:44 AM CST

Lawyer reprimanded for feeding deposition answers to vulnerable client who had to be hospitalized afterward

A Massachusetts lawyer who said he whispered deposition answers to a client out of concern for her well-being has received a public reprimand.

Nov 16, 2023 3:11 PM CST

Columbia law prof banned from 2 depositions after allegations of verbal abuse, intimidating presence

A Columbia Law School professor has been banned from depositions in a trademark case after a former employee who was set to be deposed alleged that his post-traumatic stress disorder partly stemmed partly from the professor’s actions.

Nov 14, 2023 11:15 AM CST

BigLaw firm’s ‘misrepresentations and passive obstreperousness’ prevented witness testimony, judge says

A federal judge in Virginia has held lawyers at Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan in civil contempt while ordering its former client to pay enhanced damages for “abhorrent litigation conduct.”

Oct 24, 2023 2:07 PM CDT

Lawyer sanctioned for being ‘rude, demeaning and obnoxious’ in depositions

A federal judge has sanctioned a personal injury lawyer nearly $20,000 for his conduct during four depositions last year.

Sep 28, 2023 1:49 PM CDT

MyPillow CEO rails against lawyers in defamation depositions, says he doesn’t make ‘lumpy pillows’

Lawyers contend that MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell was “combative, vulgar, disrespectful, nonresponsive, evasive and consistently loud” during three depositions in a defamation case against him.

Sep 12, 2023 12:58 PM CDT

Do this, not that, when preparing witnesses and during testimony, new ABA ethics opinion says

Lawyers have a duty to prepare and guide witnesses, but attorneys can’t coach a witness in a way that interferes with the integrity of the justice system and obstructs another party’s access to evidence, according to an ethics opinion released Wednesday by the ABA’s Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility.

Sep 6, 2023 10:44 AM CDT

Judge sanctions lawyer for ‘obnoxious’ and ‘appalling’ deposition conduct

A personal injury lawyer will be sanctioned for his deposition conduct after calling the opposing counsel “corporate shills” who “live in an alternate reality," a federal judge ruled from the bench last week.

May 10, 2023 9:17 AM CDT