Worley v. Moore

NEWBY, Justice.

**359 In this case we consider whether the trial court properly disqualified defendants' counsel under North Carolina Rule of Professional Conduct 1.9(a). This rule balances an attorney's ethical duties of confidentiality and loyalty to a former client with a party's right to its chosen counsel. The rule permits disqualification of an attorney from representing a new client if there is a substantial risk that the attorney could use confidential information shared by the client in the former matter against that same client in the current matter. This analysis requires the trial…