Opinion ID: 1421857
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The Action Filed by Mr. Schiavoni and Mr. Hammer Against Ogden Is Substantially Related to Their Prior Representation of Ogden

Text: Ogden sought to disqualify Mr. Schiavoni and Mr. Hammer as a result of their representation of Ogden during their prior employment with the law firm of Steptoe and Johnson. According to Ogden, Rule 1.9 of the West Virginia Rules of Professional Conduct [3] prohibits Mr. Schiavoni and Mr. Hammer from acting as counsel for Mr. Shaffer in the underlying suit as they had previously represented Ogden in a substantially related matter. I agree. This Court has previously held that: Rule 1.9(a) of the Rules of Professional Conduct, precludes an attorney who has formerly represented a client in a matter from representing another person in the same or a substantially related matter that is materially adverse to the interests of the former client unless the former client consents after consultation. Syl. pt. 2, State ex rel. McClanahan v. Hamilton, 189 W.Va. 290, 430 S.E.2d 569 (1993). In the recent decision of State ex rel. Keenan v. Hatcher, 210 W.Va. 307, 557 S.E.2d 361 (2001), we further held that: Under West Virginia Rule of Professional Responsibility 1.9(a), a current matter is deemed to be substantially related to an earlier matter in which a lawyer acted as counsel if (1) the current matter involves the work the lawyer performed for the former client; or (2) there is a substantial risk that representation of the present client will involve the use of information acquired in the course of representing the former client, unless that information has become generally known. Syl. pt. 1, Keenan, 210 W.Va. 307, 557 S.E.2d 361. The decision in McClanahan also noted that determining whether an attorney's current representation involves a substantially related matter to that of a former client requires an analysis of the facts, circumstances, and legal issues of the two representations. Syl. pt. 3, in part, McClanahan, 189 W.Va. 290, 430 S.E.2d 569. In the instant case, the majority opinion simply concludes Mr. Schiavoni's and Mr. Hammer's prior representation of Ogden is not substantially related to the case they filed against Ogden. However, the record could not be more clear and supportive of the opposite conclusion. Mr. Schiavoni and Mr. Hammer's prior representation of Ogden is substantially related to the case they filed against Ogden on behalf of Mr. Shaffer. To so conclude, one need look no further than the complaint. The complaint filed by Mr. Schiavoni and Mr. Hammer on behalf of Mr. Shaffer states that termination of Mr. Shaffer's employment with Ogden was in violation of the law: 12. Defendant's decision to discharge, deny transfer, and refusal to rehire plaintiff was motivated by plaintiff's age and/or plaintiff's record and/or defendant's perception of plaintiff's disability in violation of the West Virginia Human Rights Act. 13. Defendant's decision to discharge, deny transfer, and refusal to rehire plaintiff was motivated by fear that plaintiff may seek Workers' Compensation benefits in violation of the Workers' Compensation Act and the common law of West Virginia. In essence, Mr. Shaffer brought an action against Ogden alleging his employment termination was discriminatory and in violation of the West Virginia Human Rights and Workers' Compensation Acts. Mr. Schiavoni's and Mr. Hammer's ability to initiate a discrimination claim against Ogden was squarely addressed in State ex rel. Ogden Newspapers, Inc. v. Wilkes, 198 W.Va. 587, 482 S.E.2d 204 (1996) (per curiam) ( Ogden I ). [4] In Ogden I, one of the clients represented by Mr. Schiavoni and Mr. Hammer filed a handicap discrimination claim against Ogden. This Court found that Mr. Schiavoni and Mr. Hammer were disqualified from bringing the handicap discrimination claim because of Mr. Hammer's previous work for Ogden which involved a discrimination issue under the West Virginia Human Rights Act. [5] 198 W.Va. at 592-93, 482 S.E.2d at 209-10. In the instant proceeding, Ogden has again properly asserted that Mr. Hammer's previous work for Ogden included legal advice involving handicap discrimination under the state's Human Rights Act, as well as discriminatory discharge under the state's Workers' Compensation Act. Ogden also established that Mr. Schiavoni performed work for Ogden that involved age discrimination and workers' compensation discrimination. Consistent with Ogden I, it is crystal clear from this evidence that the action filed by Mr. Schiavoni and Mr. Hammer is substantially related to legal matters in which these same attorneys previously had represented Ogden. Mr. Schiavoni and Mr. Hammer do not dispute that their prior work for Ogden involved the Human Rights Act and the Workers' Compensation Act. However, they contend that extensive changes in the law, and the fact that it has been almost ten years since their representation of Ogden, militate in favor of their representation of Mr. Shaffer. The majority opinion blindly accepts both arguments. Neither argument has merit. Although Mr. Schiavoni and Mr. Hammer contend that there have been extensive changes in the law, they completely fail to identify any such alterations. Moreover, the majority opinion has failed to provide any evidence of the aforementioned law changes which would be applicable to Mr. Shaffer's case. An examination of the pertinent provisions of the West Virginia Human Rights Act and the West Virginia Workers' Compensation Act reveal no substantive changes in the law since this Court's disqualification of Mr. Schiavoni and Mr. Hammer in the 1996 Ogden I decision. 1. Changes in age and handicap discrimination laws under the West Virginia Human Rights Act. The age and handicap discrimination claims Mr. Schiavoni and Mr. Hammer filed on behalf of Mr. Shaffer are contained in W. Va.Code § 5-11-9 (1998) (Repl.Vol. 1999). Although this statute was amended in 1998, such alterations were only cosmetic. That is, the amendments involved substituting the word disable in place of the word handicap, and employing gender neutral language. [6] Clearly, these are not substantive changes. Because these amendments were merely cosmetic, the majority opinion has completely failed to identify and analyze extensive changes such as would support its illogical reasoning. Also, I find no handicap or age discrimination cases decided by this Court which so changed the law as to permit Mr. Schiavoni and Mr. Hammer to be deemed to meet the requirements of Rule 1.9(a) of the West Virginia Rules of Professional Conduct. See Stone v. St. Joseph's Hosp. of Parkersburg, 208 W.Va. 91, 538 S.E.2d 389 (2000) (handicap discrimination); Keplinger v. Virginia Elec. & Power Co., 208 W.Va. 11, 537 S.E.2d 632 (2000) (handicap discrimination); Haynes v. Rhone-Poulenc, Inc., 206 W.Va. 18, 521 S.E.2d 331 (1999) (handicap discrimination); Bailey v. Norfolk & Western Ry. Co., 206 W.Va. 654, 527 S.E.2d 516 (1999) (age discrimination); Tom's Convenient Food Mart, Inc. v. West Virginia Human Rights Comm'n, 206 W.Va. 611, 527 S.E.2d 155 (1999) (per curiam) (age discrimination); Smith v. Sears, Roebuck & Co., 205 W.Va. 64, 516 S.E.2d 275 (1999) (per curiam) (age discrimination); Napier v. Stratton, 204 W.Va. 415, 513 S.E.2d 463 (1998) (per curiam) (handicap discrimination); Strawderman v. Creative Label Co., Inc., 203 W.Va. 428, 508 S.E.2d 365 (1998) (per curiam) (handicap discrimination); Hosaflook v. Consolidation Coal Co., 201 W.Va. 325, 497 S.E.2d 174 (1997) (handicap discrimination); Vandevender v. Sheetz, Inc., 200 W.Va. 591, 490 S.E.2d 678 (1997) (per curiam) (handicap discrimination); St. Peter v. Ampak-Division of Gatewood Prods., Inc., 199 W.Va. 365, 484 S.E.2d 481 (1997) (per curiam) (handicap discrimination); Barlow v. Hester Indus., Inc., 198 W.Va. 118, 479 S.E.2d 628 (1996) (age and sex discrimination); Skaggs v. Elk Run Coal Co., Inc., 198 W.Va. 51, 479 S.E.2d 561 (1996) (handicap discrimination). Despite this extensive authority, the majority opinion completely fails to discuss our prior decisions and their impact on this case. These omissions were calculated. Why? Because our prior decisions do not support the proposition that this state's handicap and age discrimination laws have changed so dramatically as to relieve Mr. Schiavoni and Mr. Hammer of their disqualification status and permit them to represent Mr. Shaffer in his discrimination claims against Ogden. 2. Changes in discharge discrimination laws under the West Virginia Workers' Compensation Act. The Workers' Compensation discharge discrimination claim Mr. Schiavoni and Mr. Hammer brought on behalf of Mr. Shaffer is contained in W. Va. Code § 23-5A-1 (1978) (Repl.Vol. 1998), W. Va.Code § 23-5A-2 (1982) (Repl.Vol. 1998), and W. Va.Code § 23-5A-3 (1990) (Repl.Vol. 1998). These statutes have not been amended since their respective enactments. And though the majority opinion utterly fails to discuss these statutes, it nevertheless incredulously asserts that these laws have undergone dramatic changes. As with my preceding analysis, I once again find no Workers' Compensation discharge discrimination cases decided by this Court since Ogden I which have so changed the law as to permit Mr. Schiavoni and Mr. Hammer to be deemed to meet the requirements of Rule 1.9(a) of the West Virginia Rules of Professional Conduct. See Nestor v. Bruce Hardwood Floors, 210 W.Va. 692, 558 S.E.2d 691 (2001) (per curiam); Nestor v. Bruce Hardwood Flooring, 206 W.Va. 453, 525 S.E.2d 334 (1999) (per curiam); Wriston v. Raleigh County Emergency Servs. Auth., 205 W.Va. 409, 518 S.E.2d 650 (1999); Sayre v. Roop, 205 W.Va. 193, 517 S.E.2d 290 (1999) (per curiam); Napier v. Stratton, 204 W.Va. 415, 513 S.E.2d 463 (1998) (per curiam); Vandevender v. Sheetz, Inc., 200 W.Va. 591, 490 S.E.2d 678 (1997) (per curiam); Rollins v. Mason County Bd. of Educ., 200 W.Va. 386, 489 S.E.2d 768 (1997); St. Peter v. Ampak-Division of Gatewood Prods., Inc., 199 W.Va. 365, 484 S.E.2d 481 (1997) (per curiam). The majority opinion conspicuously fails to discuss these decisions and their impact on this case. Obviously, this omission was deliberate because our prior decisions do not support the proposition that this state's Workers' Compensation discharge discrimination laws have changed so dramatically as to permit Mr. Schiavoni and Mr. Hammer to continue in their representation of Mr. Shaffer in this regard. 3. Disqualification based upon the passage of time. The only seemingly legitimate basis upon which the majority could have concluded that Mr. Schiavoni and Mr. Hammer were not disqualified is the passage of time argument. While the majority opinion has cited to numerous cases addressing the impact of time on the disqualification of an attorney, none of these decisions hold that the mere passage of time, in and of itself, is sufficient to permit an attorney to sue a former client so as to satisfy the requirements of Rule 1.9(a) of the West Virginia Rules of Professional Conduct. The majority opinion has, in fact, held that, in West Virginia, the passage of time alone is conclusive of whether or not an attorney is disqualified from suing a former client based upon substantially related prior legal work for such former client. I cannot join such an undermining of the integrity of our legal profession as well as such a clear violation of Rule 1.9(a) of the Rules of Professional Conduct. Finally, Mr. Schiavoni and Mr. Hammer have presented no evidence to show that a change in Ogden's decision-makers has occurred since they terminated such representation. Insofar as all of the other contentions by the majority opinion are baseless, I believe evidence of a change in decision-makers is imperative to render controlling the passage of time argument. Unfortunately, Mr. Schiavoni and Mr. Hammer have been unable to present such evidence. As stated by Ogden during oral argument, the decision-makers who were in direct contact with Mr. Schiavoni and Mr. Hammer during their tenure as Ogden's counsel continue to be employed by Ogden and serve as its decision-makers.