Amid the growing allegations of the Harvey Weinstein sexual misconduct scandal, it recently came to light that Weinstein’s former attorney, David Boies, had agreed to contract with a private investigator firm, Black Cube, on Weinstein’s behalf. Black Cube performed work…
Solo and Small Firm Attorney Column: Top Ten Ethical Blunders and How to Avoid Them
Because many ethical blunders in law practice are avoidable, it is important to be aware of common mistakes, and to take affirmative steps to avoid them. While this is true for all attorneys, this is of particular importance for solo…
Legal Ethics Corner: Two’s a Company, Three Might Get You Disqualified: The Ethics of Joint Representation
Amy retains Attorney to prosecute a personal injury action for an arm fracture she sustained in an automobile accident. Amy asks Attorney to meet with Bill who was rendered quadriplegic by the same accident. Bill’s claim is clearly more “valuable”…
Legal Ethics Corner: How Much Do You Need to Know About Your Client’s Insurance Coverage?
It’s no secret that insurance coverage is often a key issue in litigation, as insurance is used to pay defense costs, fund settlements, and satisfy judgments. In recognition of this, courts have recently been imposing more burdens on lawyers when…
Legal Ethics Corner: Ethical Issues in Compensating Contract Attorneys
The use of contract attorneys is commonplace in the practice of law today. Large law firms and solo practitioners utilize contract attorneys to supplement their own staff resources for transactional and litigation tasks. Despite a general requirement that a client…