Can you ethically withdraw from representing a client if you fear contracting COVID-19 as a result of some aspect of the representation? Earlier this month, the New York State Bar Association issued an ethics opinion that said “Yes,” provided that the lawyer gets any necessary permission from a tribunal. While advisory for New York lawyers
Take stock instead of legal fees? Take a hard look and mind the ethics rules
One market effect of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is that transactional clients might be eager to offer you stock or some other form of participation in a deal in lieu of your legal fees. An uptick in proposals like this could come as clients try to limit cash outlays until the business climate and their
Can you buy groceries for a client? NYC bar urges ethics rule reform
Lawyers should be allowed to help provide “basic financial assistance to indigent clients — such as money for groceries, clothes or medical supplies,” the New York City Bar Association said last week in a letter to the state’s courts. In light of the urgent need caused by the corona virus pandemic, the group is seeking
Ethics and risk management: What will the “new normal” look like?
When we scheduled our daughter’s wedding for March 15 in New York City, little did we know how surreal the world would be by then. The wedding did happen, with a much-reduced number of guests, hand sanitizer on each table, and with the hora joyously danced with gloves on. The next day, the governor banned
Ponzi schemer misused funds, but Fox Rothschild not liable to non-client says NJ supreme court
“Attorneys carry substantial responsibility, but it is folly to suggest it is limitless,” said the New Jersey Supreme Court last week. The court ruled that when the Fox Rothschild firm complied with its client’s disbursement instructions it did not thereby convert funds that a non-client had wired to the firm’s trust account — even though,
Five ways to stay out of ethics trouble in 2020
As 2020 kicks off, let’s take a look back at situations that got lawyers into ethical hot water last year. They each point to some ways you can stay out of trouble this year.
1. Talk nicely
As widely reported, calling your opposing counsel a “bowl of d- – ks,” among other epithets is
Can a law firm be on both sides as an amicus curiae? New York weighs in
It’s been dubbed “the Amicus Machine” — the seemingly limitless wave of amicus curiae filings in the nation’s highest court. Statistics from the Supreme Court’s 2017-18 term reflect amicus briefs filed in every one of the 63 argued cases, averaging 14+ briefs per case. For the current term, it is reported that groups have already
Practicing without a license is a license to lose your practice, says Ohio court
The practice of law comes in many forms and sizes. It may include giving advice about a legal right, representing a client in a legal proceeding, preparing legal documents, and negotiating on a client’s behalf. Yet what all these acts have in common is that you must have state authorization to so act. You face
Wife not liable for husband’s alleged malpractice; no partnership-by-estoppel, Third Circuit holds
If you and your spouse are both lawyers, you know that you potentially face a few unique ethics issues — conflicts and confidentiality are the most obvious ones. (We’ve considered some of the ins and outs Litigation-funding agreement “champertous” and unenforceable, MN appeals court rules
Third-party litigation funding is a growing and, some say, controversial industry. We’ve written before about whether such arrangements are permitted under state ethics rules (here), and we reported on the first effort to mandate disclosure of third-party funding via federal court rule (here), as well as the first state statute requiring