Law Firm Refutes Alleged Ethical Violation in Hiring Ex-Silica Paralegal

PAULDING, Miss. - A Mississippi defense firm and its silica client have fired back at allegations that the firm breached state ethics standards when it decided to hire a paralegal who formerly worked for the firm representing silica plaintiffs. Barnett v. Pulmosan Safety Equipment Corp., et al. , No. 14-0010 (Miss. Cir. Ct., Jasper Cty.).

According to a brief filed Jan. 17 in Jasper County Circuit Court, defendant Louis M. Gerson Co. Inc. and its counsel, Page, Mannino, Peresich & McDermott, satisfied all rules of professional conduct and avoided any conflict of interest in hiring the paralegal, even though no …