Objection as to... Firearm? Packing Heat to a Deposition

We’re having a very sportcentric morning here at ATL. From the AP:

A lawyer for a sports marketer who is suing football star Reggie Bush said he and his client walked out of a deposition Tuesday after a bodyguard for Bush’s attorney opened his jacket to expose a pistol.

“He made sure we saw it,” said attorney Brian Watkins, who represents sports marketer Lloyd Lake.

Watkins said Bush attorney David Cornwell told him the bodyguard had a permit to carry a concealed weapon. The bodyguard identified himself only by his first name and did not present a business card, Watkins said.

Because it’s totally cool to have a gunman in your depo room, as long as you have his business card.

“It’s outrageous that he shows up strapped for a deposition,” Watkins said. “That’s outrageous conduct in the lawyer world. Come on, we’re lawyers. I don’t threaten people, I sue them.”

That’s glib, Mr. Watkins. Isn’t threatening part of a lawyer’s job description? Although not typically with firearms, to be sure.

Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, the law firm that hosted the deposition in its San Diego office, said it was investigating. It said none of its lawyers were present at the deposition.

“The firm absolutely prohibits the presence of firearms in any of our offices and we believe our personnel were unaware that a firearm had been brought onto our premises, assuming that did occur,” the firm said in a statement.

Any firm that does allow attorneys to tote guns to work deserves to go up a few spots on the Vault 100. Because that would be badass. Packing heat would put the “mofo” in MoFo.
Next up in Biglaw Perk Watch: Concealed weaponry?
Update: A tipster tells us:

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The other side of this is in this ESPN story: Lake is a convicted gang member and, according to Bush’s attorney Cornwell, made threats of violence including through his own attorney, Watkins.

“Cornwell also reported details of his first meeting with Watkins. Watkins told Cornwell that Lake was a gang member and that if the Bush camp did not pay off Lake, he [Watkins] could not control him. Cornwell also said that Lake made two threats against Bush in December 2007. After discussing the threats with law enforcement and private security professionals, Bush’s legal team was told to take precautions when in Lake’s presence.”

Bush’s guard flashes gun at accuser [AP via SI.com]

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