Yelp, along with a coalition of news organizations, has filed a request with a US judge to disqualify the law firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison from representing Google in the Justice Department’s ad tech lawsuit. They argue that the law firm has a conflict of interest because it previously represented them on matters related to the case.
While Yelp and the News/Media Alliance are not defendants in the litigation, they have been targeted by Google’s subpoenas for information related to web advertising market dominance. They believe that the law firm’s representation of Google is a major conflict of interest and that it has switched sides against former clients.
Paul Weiss has stated that its representation of Google is appropriate, and both Google and Yelp have not immediately responded to requests for comment. This dispute is the latest ethical issue in the ongoing antitrust litigation against Google, which has denied any wrongdoing.
Yelp had previously hired Paul Weiss in 2016 for counsel on antitrust issues, and the Justice Department’s antitrust head, Jonathan Kanter, was on the Paul Weiss team representing Yelp. Google is seeking information from Yelp about its advertising technology business and other related topics, as well as information regarding their engagement with Paul Weiss.
The trial for the ad tech case is expected to commence next year.
