Valley Bar Beats Unfair Competition Suit

A state appellate court has affirmed the dismissal of a disbarred attorney’s claim against the San Fernando Valley Bar Association for not letting him buy a list it sells to members. Joel Drum sought to use the state’s unfair Competition Law to reverse a lower court’s decision against his claim that the bar association had used his disbarment as an excuse to not allow him to purchase its list of mediators. The real reason, said Drum, who is himself a mediator, was to conceal his competitors’ prices. He believes his prices are lower than bar members’ prices for mediation services. The Division Five Court of Appeals for the 2nd Appellate District was unconvinced by Drum’s argument, and upheld last year’s ruling and the bar’s right to withhold lists it sells to members from non-members. Thom Senzee