Lawyers at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher denied they were “foot-dragging” and “stonewalling” discovery in privacy lawsuits against Facebook, arguing that a judge’s consideration of sanctions was based on a “false and misleading account” by the plaintiffs’ attorneys.

On Monday, Gibson Dunn partner Rosemarie Ring said her team was “mortified” by statements made at the last two status conferences by U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria of the Northern District of California, who suggested terminating or evidentiary sanctions might be on the table because of “dilatory discovery conduct.”