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Reed Smith, a law firm representing the ODP Corporation in a shareholder lawsuit, has been ordered by a Delaware judge to station two lawyers with “Please See Me” signs at the courthouse. This comes after the law firm failed to provide notice of a hearing, resulting in its rescheduling. Vice Chancellor J. Travis Laster said the lawyers should be available to answer questions from shareholders of the ODP Corporation who show up at the courthouse, expecting to attend the now-rescheduled settlement hearing.
The ODP Corporation is the parent company of Office Depot and OfficeMax. The shareholder lawsuit involves allegations of wrongdoing by the company’s board of directors. The settlement hearing, which was initially scheduled for Tuesday, was postponed due to Reed Smith’s failure to provide proper notice.
Judge Laster ordered one lawyer to stand in the courthouse lobby, and another to be stationed by elevators on the 12th floor, where chancery courtrooms are located. The lobby sign should be printed in a large, readable font with the message: “Settlement Hearing for ODP Corporation: Please See Me.” The other sign should contain a similar message.
According to the order, “Each lawyer will ask any individual they see if the individual intended to attend the settlement hearing. If the answer is yes, then the lawyer will explain that the hearing has been postponed and provide the new hearing information.” Reed Smith will also be required to pay for the travel costs of shareholders who had arranged to attend the hearing.
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In a letter to counsel cited by Law360, Judge Laster said that the law firm’s failure to provide proper notice was due to “an internal miscommunication.” The judge’s order is aimed at ensuring that affected shareholders are informed of the hearing’s postponement and provided with new hearing information.
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Reed Smith’s failure to provide proper notice of the hearing has resulted in inconvenience for shareholders who had arranged to attend the hearing. Judge Laster’s order serves as a reminder to law firms of the importance of complying with court rules and orders, as well as the need to communicate effectively with clients and other parties involved in legal proceedings.
