Lawyer Behind Expletive-Laden 'Negotiating Tactic' Still Hasn't Apologized, Allstate Lawyers Say
The company's lawyers are asking for $41,748 in attorney fees to compensate their efforts to boot attorney Christopher Hook from the case.
January 17, 2020 at 06:47 PM
3 minute read
The California lawyer who fired off more than 100 explicit and threatening emails in an insurance dispute with Allstate last year still hasn't apologized to opposing counsel, according to a new court filing.
Christopher Hook told his opposing counsel at Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton to "eat a bowl of dicks" as part of the string of expletive-laden emails that became public when Allstate's lawyers asked to remove him from the case and for a restraining order against him. Hook later called the emails part of a "confidential negotiation tactic" in court papers seeking to remain in the case. But when confronted about his correspondence by U.S. District Judge Otis Wright II of the Central District of California at a hearing last month, Hook, who had been fired by his clients, said he would pay his opposing counsel's bills for bringing the motion to boot him from the case.
"I'll pay them. I'll submit. I'll pay," Hook told the court at the time.
But in court papers filed Friday, Allstate's Sheppard Mullin lawyers note that Hook, now represented by Heather Rosing of Klinedinst, is contesting the majority of their request for $41,748 in fees. Rosing contended that Hook should only have to pay the $6,370 requested for the Sheppard Mullin lawyers' work on the initial ex parte motion seeking sanctions and that additional work after Hook was terminated from the case was "excessive and unnecessary."
Allstate's lawyers responded Friday that Hook made arguments that his emails were protected under the First Amendment and the litigation privilege that had to be addressed. They also noted that his clients didn't fire him until just days before the hearing with Wright.
"Allstate's response was absolutely necessary, and no less would be tolerable in light of Hook's threats of physical violence to innocent employees, attorneys and family members," they wrote.
In a declaration attached to Friday's filing, Sheppard Mullin partner Paul Klee wrote further: "Christopher Hook has never apologized to Allstate or its lawyers—whether in writing or verbally—for any of his misconduct in this case, or for causing family members to fear for their safety."
Rosing didn't respond to a request for comment Friday afternoon.
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