Firm behind climate lawsuits faces DOJ referral after court finds 'misconduct bordering on criminal'
A federal judge’s extraordinary decision to refer Hagens Berman to the Department of Justice for possible unlawful conduct escalated to an appeals court this week, marking one of the toughest...
By Fox News · Fox News
A federal judge’s extraordinary decision to refer Hagens Berman to the Department of Justice for possible unlawful conduct escalated to an appeals court this week, marking one of the toughest challenges yet for a high-profile law firm known, in part, for its aggressive climate litigation. The referral came as part of a lawsuit that Hagens Berman brought related to a separate topic, alleged drug-related injuries, and involved Judge Paul Diamond taking the rare step of asking the DOJ to review whether Hagens Berman acted unlawfully. Diamond noted in an order on Dec. 2 that a court-appointed lawyer, known as a special master, found Hagens Berman engaged in a yearslong effort to bring "fraudulent" complaints in the case in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Hagens Berman also obstructed discovery and "doctored evidence," the special master found. The order noted that the firm’s apparent "misconduct bordering on criminal" warranted the DOJ’s involvement. TOP ENERGY GROUP CALLS FOR PROBE INTO SECRETIVE 'NATIONAL LAWFARE CAMPAIGN' TO INFLUENCE JUDGES ON CLIMATE Hagens Berman has aggressively pushed back on the allegations and turned to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit for relief. The firm accused the judge of bias, noting it had recently sought Diamond’s recusal from the case and claiming the judge could be retaliating. "To rebut the charge in the court below would risk fomenting even greater ire of the district judge—ire that would be calamitous for petitioners’ clients," Hagens Berman lawyers wrote. "To remain silent is to permit a baseless accusation leveled by an Article III judge no less, to hang like a dark, ignominious cloud over petitioners’ professional reputation." The clash comes as Hagens Berman continues positioning itself as a go-to firm for high-risk litigation, including environmental cases, even as its track record in that arena shows mixed results. Last month, the firm filed a class-action lawsuit on behalf of Washington state homeowners…