Sharp

I.

INTRODUCTION

The Writers Guild of America (the Guild) had reason to believe that reality television production companies and television networks violated wage and labor laws. The Guild held meetings during which employees of reality television discussed the purported violations. Some who participated in the meetings, along with other reality television employees, agreed to be the named plaintiffs in two wage and labor law class action lawsuits against the production companies and the networks (collectively defendants). Thereafter, the trial court denied defendants’ motion to disqualify plaintiffs’ counsel, but did disqualify some plaintiffs from acting as representatives of the putative classes.

On appeal from the trial court’s order denying the disqualification order, defendants rely on California Rules of Professional Conduct of the State Bar, rule 3-310 (Rule 3-310) to contend that the trial court erred in failing to disqualify counsel for plaintiffs. This contention is based upon the facts that the firm who represented the Guild was also counsel for plaintiffs, the Guild paid for plaintiffs’ attorney fees and costs, and the litigation was conceived by the Guild…