Risk Management Archives - Page 2 of 13 - Professional Liability Matters

The Importance of Quality IT in Litigation

One of the most important aspects of working with corporate clients is understanding the businesses. From general business functions to the overarching models, this knowledge can be extremely valuable in both transactional and litigation work. However, client technology is becoming more industry specific, often making it infeasible for attorneys to learn. It is in these cases that a quality IT team working on behalf of the firm is not only the most efficient way to service a client, but also may be a litigation requirement.…

November 5, 2018 Legal Malpractice / Risk Management

Fee Dispute ≠ Malpractice

A New Jersey appeals court recently ruled that a disbarred attorney cannot sue his former attorney for malpractice in connection with a fee dispute. In an unpublished opinion in the case of Schildiner v. Toscano, the Appellate Division upheld a decision from the Essex County Superior Court dismissing the lawsuit filed by the disbarred lawyer (“Lawyer”), against the firm he hired, (“Law Firm”).

As reported by the New Jersey Law Journal (subscription required), the retainer dispute stemmed from Law Firm’s representation of Lawyer, who …

October 8, 2018 Insurance Products / Risk Management

The Benefits of Early Notice of a Claim

According to our friends at CPA Gold, LINK, from a purely risk management perspective, bringing your insurer into the claims process is extremely prudent and can save you a lot of money. Here are the reasons you should contact your insurer or agent sooner, rather than later: involvement of counsel, denial of coverage, deductible concerns and risk management. Each of these factors, and others, were addressed by CPA Gold and are absolutely worth considering.

Reporting a potential claim enables your malpractice insurer to work …

September 17, 2018 Privileges / Risk Management

Privilege in Interstate Litigation

Many legal issues are easier to articulate than they are to resolve. For example, suppose State Y does not recognize a testimonial privilege but a witness is called to testify from State X which does recognize the privilege. Can the witness who holds the privilege claim it during litigation pending in State Y? Due to differing legal constructs applied by state courts, it can be an onerous task for counsel to determine whether certain documents or communications are considered privileged or are discoverable in interstate …

May 8, 2018 Risk Management / Sanctions

Attorneys Can’t Bury the Smoking Gun

The smoking gun. That key piece of evidence that will conclusively prove your client’s case and guarantee victory may be out there. Truly dispositive evidence is rare, given that most cases turn on a series of events, an application of the law or several facts, as opposed to one document or one line of testimony. But what if you discover that key fact which is harmful to your own claim? It may be tempting to quickly settle the case without disclosing the smoking gun. Not …

April 30, 2018 Ethics / Risk Management

Lawyers Must Admit Mistakes

No one is perfect. In the adversarial arena of litigation, attorneys are rarely willing to admit even having a weak legal argument, let alone an actual error. However, the American Bar Association recently issued an opinion which makes it an ethical duty for attorneys to disclose any material errors in representation to their clients.

The use of “material” in this opinion allows for a sliding spectrum which the ABA provides some general guidance in defining. A material error is defined as one that a “disinterested …

March 26, 2018 Risk Management

New Law in PA: Quantum Meruit for Predecessor Counsel

In a recent decision, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court brought the commonwealth into line with the majority of states in allowing predecessor law firms to bring quantum meruit claims against substituted counsel. In the underlying case, the plaintiff’s claim was originally brought by an attorney at Firm A who then left for Firm B. While the plaintiff initially allowed Firm A to remain as co-counsel, the firm was eventually dismissed and the case settled. Firm A then sued Firm B to recoup a portion of …

December 18, 2017 Employment Practices Liability / Risk Management

The Price of High Profile Investigations

With the recent wave of allegations concerning employment-related conduct, there may be in uptick of employers engaging outside firms to conduct internal investigations. While these can be kept in-house, high profile cases and social media often results in the publication of these reports to the public. Consider the NFL’s investigation of the Miami Dolphins known as “bullygate.”

In the Dolphins case, particular employees were identified as fostering a bullying culture and publicly identified in the conclusions. Although one of these employees had his …

November 13, 2017 Risk Management

Microcaptives Create Headaches for Professionals

Captive insurance companies have long been a popular vehicle for companies that require insurance in areas where it is hard to find coverage. Although the IRS has been somewhat suspicious of captives for some time, it was not until the past several years that microcaptives, or captives for smaller companies, apparently piqued the interest of the IRS. After the Tax Court issued an opinion over the summer, several other similar cases have gone to trial and await opinion. The result of these cases will have …