A Judge Ordered Squabbling Lawyers to Have Lunch: Here's What Happened
A judge told attorneys to have a tête-à-tête. Plaintiff counsel paid the $74 bill, and the defense lawyer left a $74 tip.
January 15, 2025 at 06:13 PM
5 minute read
In a rare move that has caught the attention of the online legal community, Chief Judge R. David Proctor of Alabama’s Northern District ordered opposing counsel in a civil lawsuit to meet over lunch to resolve their differences.
The directive came in response to a procedural dispute that underscored what the judge described as a troubling decline in collegiality among attorneys.
The case involved plaintiff attorneys M. Todd Wheeles and Maggie L. Martin of Wheeles & Garmon, and defense counsel Tucker D. Crain and Janell M. Ahnert of Littler Mendelson.
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