Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_23-cv-00988/USCOURTS-caed-2_23-cv-00988-3/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 890
Nature of Suit: Other Statutory Actions
Cause of Action: 15:1692 Fair Debt Collection Act

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 

LISA GUTIERREZ, 

Plaintiff, 

v. 

WEBCOLLEX, LLC, 

Defendant. 

No. 2:23-cv-00988 AC 

ORDER 

 Before the court is a motion to withdraw as counsel for defendant Webcollex, LLC, filed 

by attorney Gregory A. Ferren. ECF No. 25. The motion seeks withdrawal not of Mr. Ferren but 

of the law firm Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani, LLP. Id. at 1; see also ECF No. 25-1 at 1 

(“Current counsel of record for Webcollex, GORDON REES SCULLY MANSUKHANI, LLP 

(‘Gordon Rees’), hereby requests leave to withdraw as its counsel.”). 

 Gordon Rees does not represent the defendant company, however; Mr. Ferren and his 

colleague James McDaniel do. Mr. McDaniel appeared on behalf of Webcollex on September 28, 

2023. ECF No. 9. Mr. Ferren filed a notice of appearance on May 2, 2024. ECF No. 23.1

 

Accordingly, both Mr. McDaniel and Mr. Ferren are currently counsel of record for Webcollex. 

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 Although both the notice of appearance and the motion to withdraw indicate that Mr. Ferren, 

like Mr. McDaniel, is with Gordon Reese, the docket indicates postal and email addresses for The 

Law Offices of Gregory A. Ferren, located in Kapolei, Hawaii. 

Case 2:23-cv-00988-AC Document 27 Filed 06/13/24 Page 1 of 2
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Mr. Ferren filed the instant motion to withdraw six days after appearing in this case. ECF No. 25. 

 Local Rule 182(b) provides: 

Attorneys Within Organizations. Appearances as an attorney of 

record shall not be made in the name of a law firm, organization, 

public entity, agency, or department. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 11. When 

an attorney is employed or retained by a law firm, organization, 

public entity, agency, or department, however, the attorney may 

participate in an action... if another person employed or retained by 

the same law firm, organization, public entity, agency, or department 

is attorney of record in the action. 

Because only individual attorneys practice law and may serve as counsel of record, any 

motion to withdraw as attorney of record must be made by the individual attorneys. A firm 

cannot be granted leave to withdraw because it, as an entity, was never counsel of record. 

For this reason, the present motion will be denied without prejudice to a motion to withdraw by 

counsel personally. 

The court notes that withdrawal of counsel which leaves a corporate entity unrepresented 

presents special problems, because an entity may not appear in pro se but must be represented by 

counsel. Reading Int’l, Inc. v. Malulani Grp., Ltd., 814 F.3d 1046, 1053 (9th Cir. 2016). If no 

substitute counsel appears on behalf of Webcollex, it will lose its right to defend itself and to 

prosecute any counterclaims in this case. Accordingly, any motion to withdraw should be 

accompanied by a declaration that principals and/or representatives of Webcollex have been 

notified of the motion (or that counsel have made diligent efforts to provide such notification to 

the appropriate persons). Such motion should be calendared for hearing pursuant to the Local 

Rules, and any principals and/or representatives of Webcollex shall have the opportunity to 

appear. 

The motion to withdraw at ECF No. 25 is DENIED without prejudice to a motion brought 

by and on behalf of counsel of record. 

IT IS SO ORDERED. 

DATED: June 12, 2024 

Case 2:23-cv-00988-AC Document 27 Filed 06/13/24 Page 2 of 2