Houghton v. Department of Health

STEWART, Justice.

The plaintiffs appeal the trial court’s order disqualifying their attorneys, Robert B. Sykes, James D. Vilos, and Matthew H. Raty, and the law firm of Sykes and Vilos, P.C. (hereinafter collectively referred to as “Sykes and Vilos”), on the ground that they had a conflict of interest. The complaint challenged the State’s authority to impose Medicaid liens on damages for personal injuries that Medicaid recipients recovered in lawsuits they brought against third parties. The trial court held that Sykes and Vilos had a conflict of interest under Rule 1.9 of the Utah Rules of…