Kim

Patricia O'Neill, Davis, Punelli, Keathley & Willard and Robert E. Willard, Newport Beach, for Real Parties in Interest.

WALLIN, Associate Justice.

Chul Ki Kim seeks extraordinary relief from the superior court's order appointing a new temporary judge to take the place of Judge Lloyd Blanpied, a retired Orange County Superior Court judge, who died during the proceedings. Kim claims the original stipulation for a temporary judge did not authorize the court to appoint a different temporary judge without his consent. We agree and grant the writ.

This lawsuit, involving a dispute following a sale of stock in a closely-held corporation, has a long history with this court. Kim and his brothers formed Palmco Corporation to run an import-export business, which included contracts to supply flatware to a restaurant chain and to two major airlines. After the brothers became embroiled in disputes, Kim agreed to sell his Palmco stock to the corporation, take the flatware business, and leave. He did so, but Palmco refused to transfer the flatware accounts to him and continued to pursue flatware business. In 1984, Kim sued Palmco and his brothers, obtaining a judgment in 1987. Palmco…