Legal Definitions - appearance pro hac vice

Appearance pro hac vice refers to a special permission granted by a court that allows an attorney, who is licensed to practice law in one jurisdiction (like a particular state), to represent a client in a specific case in another jurisdiction where they are not generally licensed. This permission is temporary and limited to that single case, enabling the attorney to participate in the legal proceedings for that particular matter. It's often granted when a client wants to retain a specific lawyer with specialized expertise or a long-standing relationship, even if that lawyer isn't admitted to the bar in the court's state.

• Example 1: Specialized Expertise

  A technology startup based in California is facing a complex patent infringement lawsuit in a federal court in Delaware, a state known for its specialized intellectual property jurisprudence. The startup wishes to retain its long-time intellectual property lawyer, who is licensed in California and possesses deep expertise in their specific technology, to handle the Delaware case.

  In this scenario, the California-licensed attorney would apply for appearance pro hac vice in the Delaware federal court. This allows the startup to benefit from their preferred lawyer's specialized knowledge and established relationship, even though the lawyer is not generally licensed to practice law in Delaware.

• Example 2: Out-of-State Incident with Existing Counsel

  A family from New York is involved in a serious car accident while on vacation in Florida. They want their trusted family attorney, who has represented them for years in various matters in New York, to handle the personal injury lawsuit that will be filed in Florida.

  The New York attorney would seek appearance pro hac vice status from the Florida court presiding over the personal injury claim. This enables the family to continue working with an attorney they know and trust, ensuring continuity and familiarity with their legal representation, despite the legal proceedings taking place in a different state.

• Example 3: Multi-Jurisdictional Corporate Litigation

  A large national corporation, headquartered in Texas, is sued in a complex class-action lawsuit filed in a federal court in Illinois. The corporation has a dedicated team of lead counsel based in New York who have extensive experience handling similar national litigation for them across various states.

  The New York-based lead counsel team, while licensed in New York and potentially other states, would apply for appearance pro hac vice admission in the Illinois federal court. This allows the corporation to utilize its established and experienced national litigation team for this specific class-action case in Illinois, rather than being forced to hire entirely new local counsel for the lead role.