Jules v. Andre Balazs Properties

Background

The court previously interpreted the parties’ arbitration agreement and stayed the federal case while arbitration proceeded before JAMS in California under the Federal Arbitration Act. The parties later reported that the arbitrator issued a January 17, 2023, award in favor of the defendants. The award also imposed sanctions against Adrian Jules and his counsel, Thomas A. Farinella.

Farinella was later allowed to withdraw. The court then directed the parties and Farinella to discuss a possible settlement and established a schedule for the defendants’ expected motion to confirm the arbitration award.

Jules’s Allegations and Motion

Jules proceeded without a lawyer and alleged that the defendants’ California attorneys engaged in unauthorized practice of law by appearing for the defendants at the court-ordered settlement discussion before applying for permission to appear in this case. The court previously found that Jules’s submissions did not establish improper conduct or unauthorized practice of law. It then granted Paula M. Weber’s request to appear temporarily for the defendants and found no basis for sanctions against the defendants or Weber.

Jules subsequently filed a motion seeking disqualification and other sanctions against David Greenhaus. He renewed his arguments about unauthorized practice of law.

Ruling

The court denied Jules’s request for sanctions against Greenhaus. It interpreted Jules’s filings liberally because he was representing himself, but concluded that there was no basis to sanction Greenhaus for allegedly helping his co-counsel engage in unauthorized practice of law, because the court had already determined that defense counsel did not engage in that conduct. The clerk was directed to close the motion at Docket 92. The order does not expressly state a separate disposition of the disqualification request.