WASHINGTON
v.
AT&T INC.
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A federal district court ordered a corporate plaintiff proceeding pro se to retain licensed counsel within fourteen days or face dismissal, applying the well-established rule that artificial entities cannot represent themselves in federal court.
A corporation cannot proceed pro se and must be represented by counsel admitted to the bar of the court. The court ordered the corporate plaintiff to obtain such counsel by December 16, 2024, or face dismissal of its claims.
“A party, other than a natural person, can appear through the lawyer only.”
States the basic rule from Local Rule 2.02(b)(2) requiring non-natural persons to have counsel representation.
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Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligencePlaintiff AW Washington Consulting LLC, a corporate entity, filed a complaint against AT&T Inc. and related defendants. The plaintiff attempted to pro…
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This cause comes before the Court upon sua sponte review. Plaintiff AW Washington Consulting LLC, a corporate entity, is proceeding pro se. However, Plaintiff AW Washington Consulting LLC may not proceed in this case except through an attorney who is a member of the bar of this Court. Local Rule 2.02(b)(2) (“A party, other than a natural person, can appear through the lawyer only.”); Palazzo v. Gulf Oil Corp., 764 F. 2d 1381, 1385 (11th Cir. 1985) (“The rule is well established that a corporation is an artificial entity that can act only through agents, cannot appear pro se, and must be represented by counsel.” (citations omitted)); Energy Lighting Mgmt., LLC v. Kinder, 363 F. Supp. 2d 1331, 1332 (M.D. Fla. 2005) (applying the prior version of Local Rule 2.o2(b)(2) to a limited liability company). Accordingly, it is hereby ORDERED AND ADJUDGED that on or before December 16, 2024, Plaintiff AW Washington Consulting LLC shall obtain counsel admitted to practice in this Court. Failure to timely comply with this Order may result in the dismissal of the claims brought by Plaintiff AW Washington Consulting LLC without further notice. DONE AND ORDERED in Orlando, Florida on December 2, 2024.
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PAUL G.
UNITED STATES*DISTRICT JUDGE
Copies furnished to: Counsel of Record Unrepresented Parties
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Citator
Authorities Cited
- Palazzo v. Gulf OIL Corp., 764 F.2d 1381 (11th Cir. 1985)
- Energy Lighting Mgmt., LLC v. Kinder, 363 F. Supp. 2d 1331 (M.D. Fla. 2005)