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DISQUALIFICATION OF ATTORNEY APPROPRIATE TO AVOID THE APPEARANCE OF IMPROPRIETY.

In a dispute about easements used by property owners to gain access to their properties, the Third Department determined disqualification of an attorney based upon avoiding the appearance of impropriety was appropriate, even though the mandatory conflict-of-interest disqualification criteria may not have been met:

… [E]ven in instances where … disqualification is not mandatory, disqualification nonetheless may be warranted depending upon the particular facts and circumstances of a given case … . In this regard, “[i]t is well settled that an attorney must avoid not only the fact, but even the appearance, of representing conflicting interests” … . To that end, “[a]n attorney may not place himself [or herself] in a position where a conflicting interest may, even inadvertently, affect, or give the appearance of affecting, the obligations of the professional relationship” … . “The disqualification of an attorney is a matter that rests within the sound discretion of the court” … , and the case law makes clear that “[a]ny doubts as to the existence of a conflict of interest must be resolved in favor of disqualification so as to avoid even the appearance of impropriety”… . McCutchen v 3 Princesses & AP Trust Dated Feb. 3, 2004, 2016 NY Slip Op 02703, 3rd Dept 4-7-16


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