Expletive-Laden 'Negotiating Tactic' Could End in Sanctions for SoCal Lawyer
Culver City attorney Christopher Hook referred to opposing counsel at Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton as "mother fucking cock suckers," among other slurs and epithets, in what he has labeled a "confidential negotiating tactic" to get insurer Allstate to settle with his clients.
December 05, 2019 at 06:15 PM
4 minute read
The original version of this story was published on The Recorder
A Southern California attorney is facing possible sanctions after sending opposing counsel more than 100 emails—many laced with profanity and discriminatory epithets—demanding a nine-figure settlement on behalf of his clients suing Allstate Insurance Co. in a home insurance coverage dispute.
U.S. District Judge Otis D. Wright II of the Central District of California this week asked Culver City plaintiffs attorney Christopher Hook to show why he shouldn't be sanctioned and the case tossed in light of his actions.
Allstate's attorneys at Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton last week asked for terminating sanctions and a restraining order barring Hook from getting within 100 feet of the offices or homes of Allstate and its lawyers. They attached examples of Hook's emails to a declaration from partner Peter Klee made in support of their motion in filings that were first reported by Above the Law.
NOT FOR REPRINT
© 2024 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.
Law Firms Mentioned
Trending Stories
- 1BD Settles Thousands of Bard Hernia Mesh Lawsuits
- 2First Lawsuit Filed Alleging Contraceptive Depo-Provera Caused Brain Tumor
- 3The Law Firm Disrupted: For Big Law Names, Shorter is Sweeter
- 4The Growing Tension—And Opportunity—in Big Law Nonequity Tiers
- 5The 'Biden Effect' on Senior Attorneys: Should I Stay or Should I Go?
Featured Firms
Law Offices of Gary Martin Hays & Associates, P.C.
(470) 294-1674
Law Offices of Mark E. Salomone
(857) 444-6468
Smith & Hassler
(713) 739-1250