L&H, Inc. v. Chijet Motor Company, Inc.
- Laura Swain
- 1:24-cv-06425
- U.S. District Court · Southern District of New York
- 4
In L&H, Inc. v. Chijet Motor Company, Judge Swain allowed defense counsel to withdraw and stayed the case until May 16, 2025.
The order directly affects Chijet Motor Company, Inc., Equiniti Trust Company, LLC, and their former counsel, Cooley LLP. It pauses the case and requires the two defendants to appear through new counsel by May 16, 2025.
What happened
In L&H, Inc. v. Chijet Motor Company, Inc., the law firm representing Chijet Motor Company, Inc. and Equiniti Trust Company, LLC asked to stop representing them because the defendants had ended the firm’s engagement.
The firm also asked the court to pause the case for at least 30 days so the defendants could find new lawyers. At the time, a deadline was pending for Equiniti’s reply supporting its request to dismiss L&H, Inc.’s claims against it.
Judge Laura Taylor Swain granted the requests. She allowed the firm to withdraw, stayed the case and all pending deadlines until May 16, 2025, and ordered both defendants to appear through new counsel by that date. The firm was also ordered to serve the order on the defendants and file proof of service.
The detailed version
- L&H, Inc. v. Chijet Motor Company, Inc. · No. 1:24-cv-06425
- Laura Swain
- Apr. 2, 2025
Background
Cooley LLP represented defendants Chijet Motor Company, Inc. and Equiniti Trust Company, LLC, formerly known as American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC. The firm moved for permission to withdraw as counsel under Local Civil Rule 1.4. It stated that the defendants had terminated Cooley’s engagement and instructed the firm to stop working on the matter except for filing the withdrawal motion.
Cooley also requested a temporary stay, meaning a pause in the case, for at least 30 days so the defendants could obtain new lawyers. The motion identified March 27, 2025, as the only upcoming deadline: Equiniti’s reply in further support of its motion to dismiss L&H, Inc.’s claims against it. The motion was made at the defendants’ request and with their consent.
Ruling
The court granted the requests. Cooley was granted permission to withdraw as counsel for Chijet and Equiniti. The court stayed the action and all pending deadlines until May 16, 2025, and directed Chijet and Equiniti to appear through new counsel on or before that date.
The court also directed Cooley to serve a copy of the order on Chijet and Equiniti by April 7, 2025, and to promptly file proof of service identifying the relevant service addresses and contact persons. The order states that the motion was resolved. The order did not decide Equiniti’s motion to dismiss or the underlying claims.
Read the full 4-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.