Employee’s lawyer sanctioned $11K by Texas courts

Filing a lawsuit is serious business. Companies and their managers are accused of being violators of the law. Given this import, lawyers and clients must follow certain rules, and if they don’t, there are consequences.

Wrongful termination lawsuit filed, discovery served

Attorney Jared Woodfill filed a wrongful termination suit on behalf of Dr. Tom Reed against Methodist Hospital in Houston. Per procedure, the hospital served written questions to the doctor asking the basis of his claim and requesting he produce documents supporting the same. The response? Pretty much crickets, with only objections but no substantive answers.

The hospital asked the court to compel the useful answers, and the court did so. The response? More crickets. The court granted the hospital’s request for a “show cause” hearing in which the lawyer and the client must appear and explain why the court’s orders weren’t followed. Again, crickets. The doctor and the lawyer were no-shows.

A frustrated court then ordered a hearing to decide whether the client and the lawyer should be held in contempt of court. The day before the contempt hearing, the lawyer and his client surrendered, dismissing the lawsuit. One wrinkle, though: The hospital had to pay its lawyers to file all the requests with the court. When the bill came due, the hospital argued it shouldn’t be on the hook.

Pay up!