Weekes v. Barn & Willow Inc.
- Valerie Caproni
- 1:22-cv-00992
- U.S. District Court · Southern District of New York
- 2
In Weekes v. Barn & Willow Inc., Judge Caproni ordered counsel to provide information about withdrawal and postponed deadlines and the initial conference.
Barn & Willow Inc., its attorney Krista Bolles, and the parties’ case schedule were directly affected. The order required information from counsel and postponed the initial pretrial conference and the defendant’s response deadline.
What happened
In Weekes v. Barn & Willow Inc., attorney Krista Bolles asked to stop representing Barn & Willow Inc., citing difficulty communicating with the company and a breakdown in their relationship.
Judge Valerie Caproni ordered Bolles to file a letter by June 3, 2022, stating whether Barn & Willow consented to or opposed the request, confirming that the company understood it must hire another lawyer if withdrawal were allowed, and explaining its plans to hire new counsel.
Judge Caproni also postponed the initial pretrial conference and the defendant’s deadline to answer or otherwise respond to the complaint until June 17, 2022. The order did not grant or deny the request to withdraw.
The detailed version
- Weekes v. Barn & Willow Inc. · No. 1:22-cv-00992
- Valerie Caproni
- May 24, 2022
Background
Krista Bolles filed a notice of appearance for Barn & Willow Inc. on March 16, 2022. On May 23, she asked to withdraw as the company’s attorney, citing an inability to communicate effectively with her client and a breakdown in the attorney-client relationship. She also informed the Court that her law firm would not assert a retaining or charging lien over the case.
Court’s Order
The Court ordered Bolles to file a letter by June 3, 2022, addressing three issues: whether Barn & Willow consented to or objected to the withdrawal request; whether Bolles had told the company that a corporation may not represent itself without a lawyer and would have to hire another attorney if withdrawal were granted; and the company’s plans for hiring other counsel.
The Court also adjourned the initial pretrial conference from June 3 to June 17, 2022, and set June 9 as the deadline for the parties’ pre-conference submissions. Barn & Willow’s deadline to answer, file a motion, or otherwise respond to the complaint was likewise adjourned to June 17, 2022.
Disposition
Judge Valerie Caproni’s order required additional information about counsel’s withdrawal request and changed the case schedule. The order did not grant or deny the withdrawal request.
Read the full 2-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.