New York Court of Appeals
In the Matter of the Application of George W. Dunn, as Receivers of the Hudson River Electric Company…
May 14, 1912205 N.Y. 398
Summary
The Court of Appeals affirmed the appellate division's order granting substitution of counsel but struck the clause requiring the withdrawn attorney to turn over the pleadings and papers, holding that the attorney forfeited his lien by withdrawing without just cause. The decision rests on established principles that a client may discharge counsel at any time and that an attorney who quits without just cause loses his lien on the case papers.