Lowenschuss v. Bluhdorn

78 F.R.D. 675, 25 Fed. R. Serv. 2d 345, 1978 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 18263
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. New York
DecidedApril 20, 1978
DocketNo. 73 Civ. 2021
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 78 F.R.D. 675 (Lowenschuss v. Bluhdorn) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Lowenschuss v. Bluhdorn, 78 F.R.D. 675, 25 Fed. R. Serv. 2d 345, 1978 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 18263 (S.D.N.Y. 1978).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM

BONSAL, District Judge.

The instant motions, having been held in abeyance pending a prior motion heard in January, 1978, are now before the Court. Defendants Gulf & Western Industries, Inc. (“Gulf & Western”) and C. G. Bluhdorn move to disqualify Fred Lowenschuss as class representative and Arnold Levin, Esq. as class counsel. Lowenschuss moves to strike the above motion and its accompanying affidavits as well as impose disciplinary sanctions upon the attorneys of Simpson, Thacher & Bartlett (“Simpson Thacher”) who submitted affidavits in support of the above motion. He also moves to amend the class complaint to add Simpson Thacher and Joel Dolkart (a senior partner at Simpson Thacher during the relevant period) as defendants and to disqualify Simpson Thacher as counsel to defendants Gulf & Western and Bluhdorn.

The facts giving rise to this action have been set forth in previous opinions of this Court and of the Court of Appeals and will not be repeated here. See Lowenschuss v. Kane, 520 F.2d 255 (2d Cir. 1975), rev’g Lowenschuss v. Kane, 367 F.Supp. 911 (S.D. N.Y.1973); Lowenschuss v. Bluhdorn, 72 F.R.D. 498 (S.D.N.Y.1976). See also Gulf & Western Industries, Inc. v. Great A. & P. Tea Co., 476 F.2d 687 (2d Cir. 1973), aff’g 356 F.Supp. 1066 (S.D.N.Y.1973).

On December 20, 1976 and December 23, 1976, Lowenschuss moved for leave to amend his complaint to add Joel Dolkart and Simpson Thacher as party defendants and disqualify Simpson Thacher as counsel. However, the parties maintained the status quo pending settlement negotiations, which continued into the summer of 1977. These negotiations advanced to the stage of drafting a stipulation of settlement but terminated immediately thereafter.

On September 12, 1977, Gulf & Western moved by Order to Show Cause to disqualify Lowenschuss as class representative and Arnold Levin, Esq. as class counsel. On September 20, 1977, the plaintiff moved by [677]*677Order to Show Cause to strike defendants’ motion and impose disciplinary sanctions against the attorneys who had submitted the affidavits in support of the motion.

On October 10, 1977, plaintiff-intervenor Rachel Carpenter moved to compel consummation of the aborted settlement, which the Court reluctantly denied after an evidentiary hearing on January 23 and 24,1978. The foregoing motions, having been adjourned until that determination, will now be decided.

I. DISQUALIFICATION OF LOWENSCHUSS

In this Court’s opinion of August 16, 1976, certification of the class was expressly made conditional. Limited discovery was permitted “on the issues of Lowenschuss’ arrangements with his attorneys in connection with this case.” Lowenschuss v. Bluhdorn, supra, 72 F.R.D. at 502.1

On May 10, 1976, Lowenschuss, who had doubled as class representative and counsel, had withdrawn as class counsel owing to the Third Circuit’s decision in Kramer v. Scientific Control Corp., 534 F.2d 1085, 1090 (3d Cir.), cert denied, 429 U.S. 830, 97 S.Ct. 90, 50 L.Ed.2d 94 (1976), which had ruled that “a plaintiff class representative could not, with complete fidelity to Canon 9, serve as class counsel.” At that time, he entered into an agreement with co-counsel, Adler, Barish, Daniels, Levin & Creskoff, reciting the terms of his withdrawal. They agreed to be bound by his representations that his firm, Fred Lowenschuss Associates, had spent 6500 hours on the case and that an hourly compensation rate of $300 was “fair and reasonable under the circumstances.” 2 Arnold Levin, Esq. signed for Adler Barish and by letter dated May 14, 1976 sent the executed agreement to Lowenschuss, stating that it would be Lowenschuss’ responsibility “to justify the 6500 hours [to the Court] on the basis of [his] records.” In the agreement, Lowenschuss also retained “the right to approve or disapprove of any action affecting the rights of the class.” Defendants contend that Lowenschuss has helped to draft motions and continued to suggest methods for prosecuting the lawsuit.

Defendants also criticize an earlier fee-sharing arrangement which Lowenschuss had made while he was still class counsel. In May, 1973, the firm of Abraham E. Freedman (with which Levin was then associated) agreed to serve as associate counsel and agreed that “regardless of when this litigation is terminated that the law firm of Fred Lowenschuss Associates will have rendered % of such legal services and that the law firms of Abraham E. Freedman and/or Freedman, Borowsky & Lorry will have rendered lh of the legal fee . . . .” Defendants claim that this amounted to a violation of the Code of Professional Responsibility’s Disciplinary Rule 2-107(A)(2), which provides that “[a] lawyer shall not divide a fee for legal services with another lawyer who is not a partner -in or associate of his law firm . . . unless . [t]he division is made in proportion to the services performed and responsibility assumed by each.”

In light of the foregoing, it is unnecessary to wade into the quicksand of further accusations directed at Mr. Lowenschuss based on his alleged conduct in this and prior lawsuits. Indeed, it is undesirable to do so as an inordinate amount of time in this litigation has already been expended on issues unrelated to the merits of this action.

The two foregoing fee agreements are sufficient to demonstrate that Lowenschuss cannot “fairly and adequately pro[678]*678tect the interests of the class.” Fed.R. Civ.P. 23(a)(4). “In order for a party adequately to represent a class or a subclass, his interests must be wholly compatible with and not antagonistic to those whom he would represent.” 3B Moore’s Federal Practice ¶23.07[3] at 23-401 (1977). Lowenschuss’ preoccupation with assuring a large attorney’s fee, reflected in his fee agreements with co-counsel, evinces a greater conflict of interest with the class than would his simply serving as both class representative and class counsel. See Lorber v. Beebe, 407 F.Supp. 279 (S.D.N.Y. 1975); Stull v. Pool, 63 F.R.D. 702 (S.D.N.Y. 1974); Cotchett v. Avis Rent A Car System, Inc., 56 F.R.D. 549 (S.D.N.Y.1972). Where the class representative is also class counsel, the courts that find a conflict of interest reason that “the financial recovery for reasonable attorney’s fees would dwarf the individual’s recovery as a member of the class.” Turoff v. May Co., 531 F.2d 1357, 1360 (6th Cir. 1976); accord, Seiden v. Nicholson, 69 F.R.D. 681 (N.D.Ill.1976); Cotchett v. Avis Rent A Car System, Inc., supra. Here, too, Lowenschuss’ attorney’s fee dwarfs his possible recovery — it may be more than 100 times greater. In addition, it is more than a presumed conflict of interest which concerns the Court.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Allapattah Services, Inc. v. Exxon Corp.
454 F. Supp. 2d 1185 (S.D. Florida, 2006)
State Ex Rel. Union Planters Bank, N.A. v. Kendrick
142 S.W.3d 729 (Supreme Court of Missouri, 2004)
Weisman v. Darneille
78 F.R.D. 671 (S.D. New York, 1978)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
78 F.R.D. 675, 25 Fed. R. Serv. 2d 345, 1978 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 18263, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/lowenschuss-v-bluhdorn-nysd-1978.