John J. Pomerantz, Walter Leiter, Alan Golub, Fred Pomerantz and Ralph Iannazzone, Plaintiffs-Counterclaim v. Ira D. Schandler, Carolina Erath 1978 Associates, Carolina Erath 1979 Associates and Carolina Energy Corporation, and M. Albert Nissim, Defendant-Counterclaim v. Leslie Fay Inc., Additional Counterclaim Golenbock and Barell, Movants-Appellants, 704 F.2d 681, 2d Cir. (1983)

704 F.
2d 681
John J. POMERANTZ, Walter Leiter, Alan Golub, Fred

Pomerantz
and Ralph Iannazzone, Plaintiffs-Counterclaim Defendants,
v.
Ira D. SCHANDLER, Carolina Erath 1978 Associates,
Carolina
Erath 1979 Associates and Carolina Energy
Corporation, Defendants-Appellees,
and
M. Albert NISSIM, Defendant-Counterclaim Plaintiff,
v.
LESLIE FAY INC., Additional Counterclaim Defendant.
Golenbock and Barell, Movants-Appellants.
No. 984, Docket 83-7034.
United States Court of Appeals,

Second Circuit.
Argued Feb. 18, 1983.
Decided April 8, 1983.
Michael M. Meadvin, New York City (Arthur M. Handler, Golenbock and

Barell, New York City, of counsel), for movants-appellants pro se.
Howard I. Rhine, New York City (R. Jeffrey More, Kramer, Coleman &
Rhine, New York City, of counsel), for defendants-appellees Carolina
Erath 1978 Associates, Carolina Erath 1979 Associates and Carolina
Energy Corp.
Before MANSFIELD, OAKES and NEWMAN, Circuit Judges.
PER CURIAM:
The law firm of Golenbock and Barell ("G & B"), a non-party which was
defendant's former legal counsel not only in this lawsuit but with respect to
other matters, appeals from two orders of the Southern District of New York
entered by Judge Charles E. Stewart directing it, over its objection, to release to
Kramer, Coleman & Rhine ("KC & R"), new counsel for all of the defendants
except Ira D. Schandler, a large number of documents subject to G & B's
attorney's lien for approximately $66,361 for unpaid services and disbursements
in this lawsuit and other matters. We reverse and remand for further
proceedings.
2
Beginning in 1977 G & B was retained as outside corporate counsel by various

of the defendants and in November 1980 became counsel to the defendants in
this lawsuit, in which a number of securities fraud claims are asserted against
them. In the course of its general corporate representation of the defendants G
& B created or came into possession of a large quantity of legal materials,
including correspondence with defendants and others, legal memoranda, drafts
and copies of offering materials, loan documents and closing binders prepared
for securities offerings and transactions, all relating to the defendants' business.
After the commencement of the present action G & B as litigation counsel
maintained files relating to the case, including pleadings, correspondence,
memoranda, research papers, and some 8400 photocopies of documents culled
from defendants' files for use in responding to plaintiffs' motion under
Fed.R.Civ.P. 34.
On November 18, 1982, G & B notified the defendants that because of their
failure to pay charges of more than $66,361 for its legal services and
disbursements (of which approximately $50,000 was for defense of the
lawsuit), it had no choice but to withdraw as counsel. With the court's approval
KC & R was substituted as counsel in the action and when it sought to obtain
various files and papers held by G & B the latter asserted an attorney's lien.
Defendants' request for an order directing G & B to turn over some of the
documents was then presented to Judge Stewart, to whom the action had been
assigned, for resolution. At an informal court hearing on December 10, 1982, at
which no stenographic record appears to have been made, KC & R represented
that the defendants were the subject of a grand jury criminal investigation being
conducted by the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New
York, in connection with which KC & R desired to have the 8400 photocopies
of defendants' papers in G & B's possession for use in trying to persuade the
U.S. Attorney not to seek an indictment and to defend against any charges that
might be filed. Over G & B's objection the court orally directed turnover of the
8400 photocopies, which was done, on condition that G & B's attorney's lien be
preserved.
On December 16, 1982, Judge Stewart signed an order presented by KC & R
which was broader in scope than his oral direction; it ordered G & B forthwith
to turn over to KC & R all files in G & B's possession "relating to the subject
matter of" the grand jury investigation for use solely in connection with the
investigation on the understanding that no photocopies be made, that the files
be returned to G & B on completion of the investigation, and that the order not
be construed as a release of G & B's attorney's lien. When G & B objected to
the broad scope of the order the court modified it by a supplementary order
providing that the files turned over must also be "relevant to this action" and
denying G & B's application for a bond as a condition to turning over the
documents. A 10-day stay was granted pending review by us.
5
The district court's two orders, being directed to non-parties, are appealable
either as final orders as to them or under the doctrine of Cohen v. Beneficial
Industrial Loan Corp., 337 U.S. 541, 546-47, 69 S.Ct. 1221, 1225-1226, 93
L.Ed. 1528 (1949). The issue before us, the nature and extent of an attorney's
lien, is controlled by federal law. National Equipment Rental Ltd. v. Mercury
Typesetting Co., 323 F.2d 784, 786 n. 1 (2d Cir.1963).
It is settled that an attorney may claim a lien for outstanding unpaid fees and
disbursements on a client's papers which came into the lawyer's possession as
the result of his professional representation of his client. In re San Juan Gold
Inc., 96 F.2d 60 (2d Cir.1938). Upon substitution of counsel in litigation
pending before it the court, absent evidence of misconduct on the part of
former counsel, will normally, as ancillary to its conduct of the litigation,
require a lawyer claiming a lien to turn over papers subject to the lien upon the
client's payment of his outstanding charges or posting of adequate security for
payment. National Equipment Rental, Ltd., supra, 323 F.2d at 786; The Flush,
277 F. 25 (2d Cir.1921), cert. denied, 257 U.S. 657, 42 S.Ct. 184, 66 L.Ed. 421
(1922). Indeed, we have held failure to impose such conditions to be an abuse
of discretion, The Flush, supra, 277 F. at 28. Otherwise an unconditioned
turnover would weaken the lien. Id. at 31. The purpose of the lien is to assist
the attorney in preventing a client from refusing or failing to pay charges justly
due. To permit a client in arrears to obtain the use of the papers would rob the
lien of its intended force. As this court stated in In re San Juan Gold Inc., supra,
96 F.2d at 60-61:
7 explained in The Flush, supra, the right to retain the papers is valuable to the
"As
attorney in proportion as denial of access to them causes inconvenience to the client.
Where the client or some one representing him has a pressing necessity for them, the
court will order them delivered up upon condition that the fee be paid or security
given for such sum as may be found to be due.... The attorney's lien cannot be
disregarded merely because the pressure it is supposed to exert becomes effective.
Cf. Davis v. Davis, 90 F. 791, C.C.Mass. If it is worth anyone's while to have the
77B proceedings continue and the papers are essential to that end, the necessary
funds to obtain their release may be forthcoming; if not, the debtor and its trustee
must do without them."
8
An exception to the foregoing may be made when the client has an urgent need
for the papers to defend a criminal prosecution and will be seriously prejudiced
by withholding of them but lacks the means to pay the lawyer's fee and
disbursements; in that event the court may in its discretion, after balancing the
conflicting interests, require the lawyer to release the papers on reasonable
conditions. See ABA Committee on Professional Ethics, Informal Opinion No.
1461 (1980); Hauptmann v. Fawcett, 243 App.Div. 613, 276 N.Y.S. 523,
modified, 243 App.Div. 616, 277 N.Y.S. 631 (2d Dept.1935) (former client
now on trial for murder). Such a release may be ordered, however, only upon
the client's making a clear showing of the need for the papers, the prejudice that
would result from denying him access to them, and his inability to pay the legal
fees or post a reasonable bond.
Applying these principles here, it is undisputed that G & B rendered extensive

legal services to the defendants and incurred disbursements on their behalf, for
which they failed to make payment, entitling G & B properly to assert its
attorney's lien with respect to client's papers in its possession. However, there is
no evidence other than the ipse dixit of KC & R that the papers are urgently
needed to defend against a criminal prosecution of the defendants. At the time
of argument no indictment or information had been filed and we have not been
advised of any change in the situation since then. If, as was indicated by KC &
R upon argument, the papers under G & B's lien are needed to persuade the
U.S. Attorney not to seek an indictment, KC & R first was required to make a
particularized showing of the nature of each of the government's specific claims
of wrongdoing and the documents believed to contain exculpatory material with
respect to those claims. The defendants are not entitled to the documents or to
roam through G & B's files merely on their general statements that the papers
might prove useful in negotiating with the government.
10
Assuming arguendo the existence of a particularized need for the papers, the
record contains no information regarding the defendants' financial condition
and specifically their ability to pay G & B's fees and disbursements or to post
security pending any differences with respect to them. The district court
erroneously rejected, without explanation or finding, G & B's request that a
bond be posted.
11
For the foregoing reasons the district court's orders cannot on this record be
upheld. Accordingly, we reverse and remand the case for further proceedings
consistent with this opinion. Pending resolution of the factual issues, those
papers turned over will promptly be returned to custody of G & B without any
copies or summaries being retained by the defendants.
12
The mandate shall issue forthwith.

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704 F.

John J. POMERANTZ, Walter Leiter, Alan Golub, Fred

United States Court of Appeals,

Michael M. Meadvin, New York City (Arthur M. Handler, Golenbock and

Beginning in 1977 G & B was retained as outside corporate counsel by various

On December 16, 1982, Judge Stewart signed an order presented by KC & R

Applying these principles here, it is undisputed that G & B rendered extensive

The mandate shall issue forthwith.

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