Greentree Financial Group, Inc. v. Chijet Motor Company, Inc.
- Valerie Caproni
- 1:24-cv-06415
- U.S. District Court · Southern District of New York
- 3
Judge Caproni granted Cooley LLP’s withdrawal motion and stayed Greentree Financial Group v. Chijet Motor while Defendants seek new counsel.
Chijet Motor Company, Inc. and Equiniti Trust Company, LLC must obtain new counsel to continue litigating. The stay pauses the action and its pending deadlines, and Chijet’s counterclaim and Defendants’ positions could be affected if they do not obtain counsel.
What happened
In Greentree Financial Group, Inc. v. Chijet Motor Company, Inc., Cooley LLP asked to withdraw as counsel for Chijet Motor Company, Inc. and Equiniti Trust Company, LLC after Defendants ended Cooley’s engagement.
Defendants also asked the Court to pause the case and all deadlines for at least 30 days so they could find new lawyers. The Court explained that corporations and limited liability companies cannot represent themselves and must litigate through attorneys.
Judge Valerie Caproni granted Cooley’s motion, directed the Clerk to remove Cooley as Defendants’ counsel, and stayed the case and all pending deadlines until April 28, 2025, or until new defense counsel appears, whichever comes first. The Court warned that failing to obtain new counsel could lead to a default judgment against Defendants and dismissal of Chijet’s counterclaim.
The detailed version
- Greentree Financial Group, Inc. v. Chijet Motor Company, Inc. · No. 1:24-cv-06415
- Valerie Caproni
- Mar. 26, 2025
Background
Cooley LLP represented Defendant and counterclaim plaintiff Chijet Motor Company, Inc. and Defendant Equiniti Trust Company, LLC. On March 25, 2025, Cooley asked for permission to withdraw because Defendants had terminated their engagement. Defendants also requested a temporary stay, meaning a pause in the case and its deadlines, so they could obtain new counsel.
The order states that Chijet is a corporation and exempted company and that Equiniti is a limited liability company. Under the cited New York professional-conduct rule, a lawyer must withdraw when discharged. The Court also noted that corporations, limited liability companies, and similar artificial entities cannot appear without lawyers and may litigate only through counsel.
Rulings
The Court granted Cooley’s motion for leave to withdraw as counsel and directed the Clerk of Court to terminate Cooley as counsel for Defendants. The Court warned that Defendants’ failure to find new counsel may result in entry of default judgment against them and dismissal of Chijet’s counterclaim.
The Court further ordered that the action and all pending deadlines are stayed until the earlier of April 28, 2025, or the filing of a notice of appearance by new counsel for Defendants. Within five days after new counsel appears, the parties must submit a joint letter proposing a briefing schedule for outstanding motions and, if necessary, updated discovery deadlines. Cooley must serve the order on Defendants and file proof of service by March 27, 2025. The Clerk was also directed to terminate the open motion at Docket 64.
Read the full 3-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.