JUDGE IN HALKBANK CASE ADMONISHES DEFENSE LEGAL TEAM

The District Judge in the Iran sanctions evasion case against HALKBANK,  the government-owned Turkish bank, has denied bank counsel the right to present oral argument in the bank's pending motion to recuse the judge, and warned the attorneys that "They will need to (much) better adhere to the Court's Individual Rules and all applicable cases and Federal Rules..."

The Court noted that it "reserves the right to dismiss and/or disregard (in while or in part) submission which do not conform to applicable practice, procedure and case law." Was the judge perhaps signalling that the conduct of previous and bank counsel was dilatory ? Possibly, because some of the prior arguments advanced by counsel, which were not supported by case law, might have irritated the Court. I realize that counsel was acting on the orders of the bank, but perhaps the bank might want to move the case forward on the merits, and not waste time with procedural roadblocks.