Patricia Young, Petitioners v. Norva L. Achenbauch, Respondents

Summary

The court quashed the intermediate appellate court’s decision and reinstated the trial court’s order disqualifying counsel from representing flight attendants in an action against the foundation created by an earlier class-action settlement. It held that disqualification motions must be evaluated under the Florida Rules of Professional Conduct and that counsel could not avoid conflicts existing before representation by withdrawing after the conflicting representation began. The court concluded that both current-client and former-client conflicts warranted disqualification.