Lawyer disqualification is a tricky concept. Sometimes it is viewed as a tactical and harassing litigation weapon that robs clients of their trusted counsel of choice. Yet, on the flip side, courts can use disqualification as an effective remedy for dealing with lawyer misconduct.
The case, Dynamic 3D Geosolutions v. Schlumberger, is up on appeal in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit from the U.S. District Court of the Western District of Texas, and the appeal centers on the issue of lawyer disqualification. The Federal Circuit must review the decision of U.S. District Judge Lee Yeakel, who was the trial judge in the lawsuit, which focused on a dispute over a geological modeling patent. In his order, issued on March 31, 2015, Yeakel held that Dynamic 3D Geosolutions’ in-house and outside counsel should be disqualified and that Dynamic Geo’s case should be dismissed without prejudice.
