Morgan Lewis Wins Reversal on Ex Parte Contact Ruling

Law firm Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP shouldn’t have been disqualified as counsel over ex parte communications in a wage and hour suit, because the contact didn’t result in substantial continuing effects on judicial proceedings, a California appeals court ruled.

The firm represented North American Title Co. against a certified class of employees alleging unpaid overtime. The class included employees NATC had deemed exempt from overtime, and proceeded to trial on a cause of action under the state’s Business and Professions Code.

A trial court ordered NATC to pay restitution of unpaid overtime to the exempt class, and appointed a ...