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31 lawyers decline to associate with Jorgensen
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Posted on Apr 05 2012
By Ferdie de la Torre
Reporter
Reporter
Except for attorney Stephen C. Woodruff, 31 other lawyers in the CNMI declined to associate as local counsel with attorney Bruce Jorgensen in the lawsuit filed by two unnamed retirees against Gov. Benigno R. Fitial and the NMI Retirement Fund.
Jorgensen and co-counsels Margery S. Bronster and Robert M. Hatch informed the U.S. District Court for the NMI yesterday that 31 attorneys in the Commonwealth expressly declined to associate with them as local counsel.
In his affidavit, Hatch disclosed that nine attorneys did not return their messages, but on April 3, 2012 (Hawaii time), Woodruff agreed to associate with them as local counsel.
Hatch said they personally attempted to call 55 attorneys on Saipan but 14 calls did not go through.
He said that on March 21, 2012, CNMI Bar Association president Sean Frink offered to forward a letter from their law office (Bronster Hoshibata) to all members of the CNMI Bar by email.
Hatch said the letter explained the need for them to have local counsel in the case and to report to federal court by April 3, 2012.
To date, Hatch said, they have not get any inquiries in response to the letter but many lawyers they contacted acknowledged receiving the letter by email.
In a court order issued last month, Jorgensen and his co-counsels were directed to associate with local counsel at the request of the Fund, Fitial, and the CNMI government.
U.S. District Court for the NMI designated judge Frances Tydingco-Gatewood ordered Jorgensen and co-counsels to file with the court evidence that they have attempted to contact at least 25 attorneys licensed to practice in the NMI and that each of the contacted attorneys had refused association.
The defendants, through counsel Braddock Huesman, expressed the difficulty in serving the plaintiffs because their attorneys have provided at least two different mailing addresses, one of which refuses service and the other being defunct.
Jorgensen and his co-counsels do not reside or maintain a law office in the NMI.
