Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-casd-3_07-cv-01897/USCOURTS-casd-3_07-cv-01897-3/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 470
Nature of Suit: Civil (Rico)
Cause of Action: 18:1961 Racketeering (RICO) Act

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07cv1897

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

PACIFIC ROLLFORMING, LLC,

Plaintiff,

v.

TRAKLOC INTERNATIONAL, LLC, et

al.

Defendants. _________________________________

AND RELATED COUNTERCLAIMS.

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Civil No. 07cv1897-L(JMA)

ORDER GRANTING EX PARTE

APPLICATION TO WITHDRAW AS

COUNSEL AND VACATING

EARLY NEUTRAL EVALUATION

CONFERENCE

On October 10, 2008, counsel for Defendant and Counterclaimant Trakloc North

America, LLC (“TLNA”) and for Defendants David Jablow (“Jablow”), Southeast Metals, Inc.

(“SEM”), Gary Nelson (“Nelson”) and Thomas Horst (“Horst,” collectively “Clients”) filed an

ex parte application to withdraw as counsel of record. Although Clients and Plaintiff were

served with the application, they did respond. For the reasons which follow, the application to

withdraw is GRANTED.

An attorney representing a client before a tribunal may not withdraw except by leave of

court. Darby v. City of Torrance, 810 F. Supp. 275, 276 (C.D. Cal. 1992); Cal. R. Prof. Conduct

3-700(A)(1). This court requires counsel to “comply with the standards of professional conduct

required of members of the State Bar of California, and decisions of any court applicable

thereto.” Civ. Loc. R. 83.4(b). 

Case 3:07-cv-01897-IEG-MDD Document 55 Filed 10/21/08 Page 1 of 4
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1 Under the State Bar of California Rules of Professional Conduct, attorneys are

bound to preserve client confidences when seeking withdrawal, if disclosing them would

prejudice the client or violate the counsel’s duty of confidentiality. See Cal. R. Prof. Conduct 3-

700(A)(2). In light of these limitations, counsel often is not able to discuss in detail the reasons

for withdrawal.

2 07cv1897

Counsel maintains withdrawal is necessitated by several issues.1 TLNA and Jablow

expressly requested counsel to be substituted out of the case. SEM, Nelson and Horst indicated

that their interests may be in conflict with the TLNA and Jablow’s interests. In addition to these

circumstances, there has been a breakdown in the attorney-client relationship due to

disagreements regarding the best way to proceed with Clients’ case. Furthermore, the Clients

have not paid for counsel’s services. The counsel argues these circumstances have rendered

continued representation unreasonably difficult. 

Withdrawal is permissible under any one of these circumstances. See Cal. R. Prof.

Conduct 3-700(C)(5) (client’s agreement to terminate counsel); 3-700(C)(2) (likely violation of

Rule 3-310(c)(2) regarding potential conflicts among clients); 3-700(C)(1)(e) (disagreement

about how to proceed with the case); 3-700(C)(1)(f) (failure to pay fees) & 3-700(C)(1)(d)

(unreasonably difficult for counsel to carry out his employment). Although the rules do not

mandate withdrawal, they make it permissive. 

An attorney may not withdraw until he or she “has taken reasonable steps to avoid

reasonably foreseeable prejudice to the rights of the client . . ..” Cal. R. Prof. Conduct 3-

100(A)(2). Prior to requesting withdrawal, counsel prepared a substitution of counsel

substituting in the counsel requested by TLNA and Jablow. Although they signed the

substitution, they failed to secure the signatures of the remaining Clients and the attorney they

wanted to substitute in. Accordingly, the substitution was never filed with this court. 

Subsequently, counsel informed Clients of his intent to file the instant application and of their

need to retain new counsel, particularly with respect to the clients who are not individuals. See

Civ. Local Rule 83.3(k); D-Beam Ltd. P’ship v. Roller Derby Skates, Inc., 366 F.3d 972, 973-74

(9th Cir. 2004) (corporations and unincorporated associations). At the time of the filing of the

application there were no hearings or due dates apparent from the court’s docket necessitating

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3 07cv1897

Clients’ action. Accordingly, the counsel took sufficient steps to avoid reasonably foreseeable

prejudice to Clients. Having reviewed the application and the supporting declaration of counsel

the court finds good cause to grant the application. 

For the foregoing reasons, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED as follows:

1. Defense counsel’s ex parte application to withdraw as counsel of record is

GRANTED. The Clerk of Court shall terminate Law Offices of Lawrence H. Davidson as

counsel for Defendant and Counterclaimant Trakloc North America, LLC and for Defendants

David Jablow, Southeast Metals, Inc., Gary Nelson and Thomas Horst. 

2. The defense counsel shall serve a copy of this order on Clients by most expeditious

means available.

3. Defendants Jablow, Nelson and Horst are hereby substituted in propria persona. No

later than November 5, 2008, Messrs. Jablow, Nelson and Horst shall file either a notice of their

respective addresses where they can be served, see Civ. L. Rule 83.11, or a notice identifying

their respective attorneys, including attorney addresses and telephone numbers. 

4. No later than November 5, 2008, Defendant and Counterclaimant Trakloc North

America, LLC and Defendant Southeast Metals, Inc. shall file a notice identifying their

respective attorneys, including attorney addresses and telephone numbers. See Civ. L. Rule

83.3(k); D-Beam Ltd. P’ship, 366 F.3d at 973-74. 

5. Default may be entered and/or counterclaims dismissed with respect to the parties who

fail to comply with this order.

6. The early neutral evaluation conference currently set on the calendar of Magistrate

Judge Jan M. Adler for November 21, 2008 is hereby VACATED and shall be reset by the

Magistrate Court as appropriate upon consideration of this order.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

DATED: October 21, 2008

M. James Lorenz

United States District Court Judge

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4 07cv1897

COPY TO: 

HON. JAN M. ADLER

UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

ALL PARTIES/COUNSEL

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