Plaintiff Counsel’s Pre-Litigation Meeting With Defendant No Basis for Disqualification

The court denied defendant's motion to disqualify plaintiff's counsel where counsel held a client representation meeting with defendant four years ago. "While [counsel] may have offered some initial impressions of the legal issues discussed, he was not called upon to formulate a legal strategy for [defendant] and is unlikely to have gained detailed knowledge of the pertinent facts and legal principles at issue in the instant litigation. As a result, the Court finds that [counsel's] relationship with [defendant] is attenuated and will not presume that he acquired confidential information material to the instant litigation."

IPVX Patent Holdings, Inc. v. 8x8, Inc., 4-13-cv-01707 (CAND December 19, 2013, Order) (Westmore, M.J.)