Court Opinion

ID: 9668520
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 02:17:14.943909+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:15:45.913762
License: Public Domain

ON MOTION FOR REHEARING
Daryl Lott complains in his motion for rehearing that our original opinion fails to address that part of his cause of action relating to the breach of the employment contract between him and the appellees. Our failure to address this question was not oversight, but rather arises from the fact that neither the pleading nor the response to appellees’ motion for summary judgment *476alleges a specific breach. Lott’s motion for rehearing does not point to a specific breach. However, if we indulge in implications which may be drawn from the general language used in the pleading and response, we may conclude that the breach complained about is appellees’ withdrawal from representation of Lott upon discovery that a probable conflict of interest existed between Lott and his wife.
The circumstances leading to appel-lees’ withdrawal from representation of Lott are set forth in the original opinion. We hold that under those circumstances appellees’ withdrawal and refusal to continue representation was not a breach of the employment contract, because appellees demonstrably had a right, and perhaps even a duty, to withdraw. A lawyer is precluded from accepting or continuing employment when asked to represent two or more clients who may have differing interests whether such interests be conflicting, inconsistent, diverse or otherwise discordant. Tex.Rev.Civ.Stat.Ann. art. 320a-l, tit. 14, art. XII, § 8, EC 5-14 (Vernon 1973). See also id., DR 5-105(B). Additionally, appel-lees’ withdrawal did not leave Lott in a posture of default. As revealed in the record, immediately after appellees’ withdrawal Lott employed other counsel, intervened in his wife’s pending personal injury suit against Reproductive Services, Inc., and settled and released his claims against that defendant.
Accordingly, we overrule appellant’s motion for rehearing.