Opinion ID: 782573
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Petitioners' case for mandamus relief

Text: 51 In view of these persuasive cases, we cannot conclude that Petitioners have satisfied the high standard required for issuance of the writ of mandamus. Neither BellSouth nor Price has demonstrated a clear and indisputable right to relief. 52 In addition, BellSouth has not shown that it will suffer irreparable harm or demonstrable injustice if resolution is delayed until the end of the case. If it wins at trial or settles, then no harm was done. If it loses, it can appeal and raise denial of its chosen counsel as an enumeration of error. The mere possibility that a litigant might have to re-litigate a case is not a sufficiently compelling interest to warrant immediate review. See Firestone, 449 U.S. at 378, 101 S.Ct. at 675 (interlocutory orders are not appealable `on the mere ground that they may be erroneous') ( quoting Will v. United States, 389 U.S. 90, 98 n. 6, 88 S.Ct. 269, 275 n. 6, 19 L.Ed.2d 305 (1967)); Mechem, 880 F.2d at 874 (applying Koller, [t]hat an erroneous ruling may impose additional cost does not... satisfy the high standard required for mandamus.); Maloney v. Plunkett, 854 F.2d 152, 154-55 (7th Cir.1988) ([O]rdinarily the inconvenience, lost time, and sunk costs of such further proceedings as could have been avoided by correcting the trial judge's error are not considered the kind of irremediable harm that will satisfy the stringent requirements for issuing a writ of mandamus.). Moreover, BellSouth has not presented any facts to indicate that Price's counsel is indispensable to its case. To the contrary, the district court found that the company is ably represented by a large, national firm, to which Price was merely local co-counsel. 53 Price and his firm have a stronger argument with respect to injury, but as our discussion below concludes, they have failed to demonstrate a clear and indisputable right to relief. They have not shown that the district court's ultimate decision to disqualify was patently erroneous. While our discussion reveals the possibility of dire consequences or irreparable harm, there are no findings of fact to support same, and the record does not compel such a finding. 6 54 The analysis leading to our conclusion must examine each of Petitioners' arguments to ascertain whether they have made the strong showing required for the issuance of a writ of mandamus.