Opinion ID: 1611604
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Counts III and IVThe Hormel Matter

Text: In 1993, respondent filed an age discrimination suit on behalf of her client, Kurt Schneider, against the Hormel Foods Corporation, Mr. Schneider's former employer. Schneider v. Geo. A. Hormel & Co., No. 93-1264, 1996 WL 191632 on the docket of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana. On April 26, 1995, respondent telephoned James Cavanaugh, the Assistant Secretary and Senior Attorney of the Hormel Foods Corporation, to discuss a settlement of Mr. Schneider's case. By letter dated April 27, 1995, Hormel's retained counsel, James Morgan of the New Orleans law firm of Fisher & Phillips, wrote to respondent and advised her that he represented Hormel in the case, [6] and therefore that it is appropriate for you to contact [me] prior to engaging in direct client contact. Over the next 3½ years, Mr. Morgan wrote six more letters to respondent reiterating his request that she not contact Hormel's executives directly. Nevertheless, respondent did so on nine occasions between December 1995 and May 2000, both by letter and by telephone, without the prior knowledge or consent of Mr. Morgan. In addition to contacting Mr. Cavanaugh, respondent also contacted Mahlon Schneider, Hormel's Vice President and General Counsel; Joel Johnson, Hormel's President and Chief Executive Officer; and Mike MacLean, a Human Resources official at Hormel, concerning Mr. Schneider's case. Five of respondent's contacts with the Hormel executives occurred after the litigation was finally concluded in Hormel's favor. [7] In connection with the case against Hormel, respondent hired a court reporting firm, Carol F. Gallo d/b/a Mid-South Reporting Service, to take the deposition testimony of a witness. In February 1995, Ms. Gallo billed respondent $480.20 for her services. Respondent has conceded that the charge is reasonable and she has made a partial payment of $50, but she refuses to remit the balance. [8] The ODC alleges that respondent's conduct in the Hormel matter violated the following provisions of the Rules of Professional Conduct: Rules 4.2 (communication with a person represented by counsel), 8.4(a), and 8.4(d).