Recruiters and law firm clients are not shy about suing each other over fees or representation contracts, but a recent lawsuit involving Texas recruiter Robert Kinney shows that another kind of dispute can arise.

Kinney subpoenaed several Big Law firms seeking placement information for a trade secrets suit his company had filed against a former employee. Only Kirkland & Ellis fought the subpoena—and was chastised by a judge in Austin who said the firm “should be embarrassed” by its actions—in a case that points to another source of potential tension between recruiters and their law firm clients.