Long-established firm, Motley Rice is currently under scrutiny, as it faces the threat of disqualification from a large number of ongoing opioid lawsuits. In response, the law firm has referred to the most recent opinion on the American Bar Association’s professional conduct rules related to ethical guidance for government lawyers. It’s an attempt to rebuff the grounds upon which the disqualification is being sought.
OptumRx Inc., a pharmacy benefit manager and one of the defendants in the existing opioid lawsuits, has begun procedures to disqualify Motley Rice. Allegations from OptumRx indicate that while serving as external counsel to the District of Columbia, Hawaii and Chicago, Motley Rice managed to acquire confidential information about the company. The federal judge overseeing the opioid multidistrict litigation sought further information about these allegations, while Motley Rice continuously denies any presence of threatening conflict.
In the backdrop of these developments, U.S. District Judge Dan Polster has already organized multiple leading cases against OptumRx and Express Scripts, another pharmacy benefit manager implicated in the opioid multidistrict litigation. While the disqualification motion adds another layer of complexity to the ongoing legal battles, OptumRx and ExpressScripts are preparing for substantial legal challenges.
More detailed information about these recent developments can be found at Law.com.