Opinion ID: 393989
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Appellants' Positions.

Text: 29 The appellants first argue that the court erred in relying solely on Canon 9 to disqualify the law firms. They next argue that the district court should not have ruled on the basis of mere speculation. They contend that factual findings should have been made. The appellants also argue that the court improperly weighed the four factors to arrive at its conclusion of impropriety. They respond to the court's four points in the following manner: 30 1) Insulation of Witnesses : the appellants respond that the court cited no authority which suggests that insulation of witnesses is a proper factor for the court to consider in disqualification motions. They refer the court to United States v. Linton, 502 F.Supp. 871 (D.Nev.1980), which denied a disqualification order in an analogous case. 31 2) Pre-Deposition Insulation : appellants have argued that the plaintiffs do not have an absolute right to interview witnesses because the witnesses may always refuse consent. 32 3) Preparation for Deposition : the appellants argue that even without the disqualification order, the plaintiffs would not be able to question the witnesses regarding their exchanges with the employers' counsel. They argue that this communication is protected by Upjohn Co. v. United States, 449 U.S. 383, 101 S.Ct. 677, 66 L.Ed.2d 584 (1981). They also refer to Fed.R.Evid. 612, which they say allows the district court to require production of any writing used to refresh a witness' memory. (They note that this is true even though the writings might have been protected by the attorney-client relationship.) 33 4) Instruction Not to Answer : the appellants argue that the district court need not have resorted to disqualification because other sanctions were available. Some appellants also argue that the attorney is not serving two masters, but appears at the deposition only on behalf of the employer. 34