Opinion ID: 389571
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Policy Grounds.

Text: 48 Policy reasons support our decision not to interpret DR5-105(C)'s adequate representation language in such a way as to abolish consent. It is true that from its representation of Jelco in the Ace matter, Kobin & Meyer was likely to gain information and insights from Jelco about such things as Jelco's institutional attitudes towards negotiation and settlement and Jelco's method of doing business. Such information undoubtedly could prove useful to an opponent. Nevertheless, while the practice of suing a client can be neither condoned nor encouraged, 14 we are not prepared to enunciate a per se rule that a client must forego in all circumstances his choice of a particular attorney merely because there is the foreseeability of a future conflict with one of the attorney's existing clients. 49 It is true that the court has an obligation to safeguard the integrity of the judicial process in the eyes of the public. See Pennwalt Corp. v. Plough, Inc., 85 F.R.D. 264, 267 (D.Del.1980); see also, Silver Chrysler Plymouth, Inc. v. Chrysler Motor Corp., 518 F.2d 751, 754, 759 (2nd Cir. 1975), and at p. 759 (Adams, J., concurring), overruled on other grounds Armstrong v. McAlpin, 625 F.2d 433 (2nd Cir. 1980), vacated McAlpin v. Armstrong, -- U.S. --, 101 S.Ct. 911, 66 L.Ed.2d 835 (1981). But the impact upon the public's respect for lawyers may be too speculative to justify overriding the client's right to take a calculated risk and, with full knowledge, engage the attorney of his choice. We do not find it necessary to create a paternalistic rule that would prevent the client in every circumstance from hiring a particular attorney if the client knows that some detriment may result from that choice in a later suit. Clients who are fully advised should be able to make choices of this kind if they wish to do so. Our responsibility is to preserve a balance, delicate though it may be, between an individual's right to his own freely chosen counsel and the avoidance of representations where undivided loyalty is impossible. See Trone v. Smith, 621 F.2d 994, 1001 (9th Cir. 1980); Silver Chrysler, supra, 518 F.2d at 753. We think the Code strikes a balance on the side of an individual's right to choose his own counsel and against a per se rule forbidding multiple representation. See also, In re Taylor, 567 F.2d 1183, 1191 (2nd Cir. 1977) (stating that once the court decides that client consent was given, the court is without power to unilaterally obstruct the choice of counsel). 15 50