The defendant corporation brought a motion for leave under Rule 15.01(2) of the Rules of Civil Procedure to be represented by Hossein Assadpour, a non-lawyer.
The plaintiffs opposed the motion.
The court granted leave, finding that the defendant, a closely held corporation with Assadpour as its sole officer, director, and shareholder, met the criteria for non-lawyer representation.
The court considered factors such as Assadpour's authorization, connection to the corporation, the corporation's closely held nature, protection of stakeholders' interests, and Assadpour's reasonable capability to comprehend and advocate the issues.
The court also considered the corporation's financial incapacity to retain counsel, though noted it was not a necessary factor.
No costs were awarded.
