Defendants in a suit over control of a new oil refining technology in Monmouth County Superior Court are seeking to disqualify New Jersey’s Sills Cummis & Gross from representing the plaintiffs.

The disqualification motion says that Sills Cummis is conflicted out of representing plaintiff Pristec Refining Technologies, a closely held entity, because of the law firm’s concurrent duties to defendants who are constituent members of that company. In particular, Sills Cummis has duties to defendant Pristec America, which holds a 75% interest in Pristec Refining Technologies and owns the license to the technology that is at the center of the case, according to the motion.