Thannhaeuser

BACKGROUND

For several years before the dispute in the underlying case arose, David Williamson was personal counsel to Thannhaeuser and counsel for Concord Blue, an alternative energy company founded by Thannhaeuser. Concord Blue is based in Germany but has an office in Santa Monica, California. The underlying dispute arose from a residential lease Thannhaeuser signed for a house in Malibu, California. Williamson is located in New York and had assisted Thannhaeuser and Concord Blue with environmental law issues and New York business transactions. In early 2018, Thannhaeuser and Concord Blue approached Williamson and asked for his assistance with possible mediation to resolve a lease dispute involving the Malibu property. Williamson is a member of the New York Bar but not the California Bar. After consulting the California Rules of Professional Responsibility and a State Bar of California Ethics “ethics primer,” Williamson concluded that he could represent Thannhaeuser in the mediation. Zuma rejected Thannhaeuser’s mediation request. Williamson searched for California counsel and ultimately referred the potential litigation to attorney Robert Kitson. Concord Blue asked Williamson…