A well-known and well-received New Jersey law firm was recently sanctioned for claiming that an adversary produced false testimony in a lawsuit. The law firm represented over 2,000 union members against their former union where it was claimed that the union failed to properly secure the seniority of its members when the employer obtained bankruptcy protection in 2001. 

This summer, a jury determined that the union violated its duty to its members. A second trial on damages is to follow later this year. After the verdict, however, the union requested the trial judge to overturn the jury verdict.  In that application the attorney for the union alleged that a member of the law firm that represented the union members arranged for false testimony from five witnesses at trial, and in the process sought to revoke the pro hac vice status of the law firm.

The trial judge labeled the motion frivolous and ordered the union member’s law firm to pay $5,000 in sanction. A member of this law firm said that although the law firm had a high regard for the trial judge they had to "respectfully disagree with this decision."