Ethics & Malpractice Issues

For Robyn Glassman-Katz, the gig with lemon law firm,  Kimmel and Silverman must have seemed like nirvana; an opportunity for a lawyer with limited consumer law experience to run a branch office of a nationally known law firm.  Likewise, Kimmel and Silverman must have believed that it hit the jackpot when it found Glassman-Katz, a…

With billing fraud rampant at major law firms, guess who the Illinois disciplinary committee decided to prosecute? Was it the the partners at a Chicago office of a national firm, whose own colleague shined a light on overbilling? Nah – that’s too large a target. Why not go after the smallest possible potato instead –…

Under legal ethics principles, a clients’ right to the attorney of their choosing trumps even the economic interest of the firm representing the client. For that reason, firms cannot force lawyers to enter into non-compete agreements or impose onerous restrictions that would prevent a client from following a departing attorney to another firm or to…

Over at Legal Blog Watch, I’ve posted my view on the $42 million fee collected by a law firm in a multi-million dollar estate matter. Basically, the lawyers originally had a fee agreement with the client; when she found her legal fees mounting (to the tune of $1 million per quarter), she asked her lawyers…

Ever since I’ve started my site, I’ve blogged about situations where, in my view, judges have gone way over the line in sanctioning attorneys for conduct, such as sending a lawyer to jail for refusing to apologize or showing up late for a hearing. But typically, these sanctions have issued against solo and small firm…

One aspect of solo practice that’s commonly overlooked is the impact that a suspension can have on a solo’s career. Over at Legal Profession Blog, Mike Frisch notes that even a bar suspension of a short duration can kill a solo’s practice because he or she may not have colleagues who can assume control of…

These days, most bar associations make information about a lawyer’s bar membership publicly accessible, so that consumers can ensure that the lawyer they’ve retained is actually licensed to practice. But these bar data bases are important for lawyers. For example, perhaps you’re suspicious that your opposing counsel isn’t licensed in the court where he’s filed…

Ah, I suppose it was just a matter of time before the Florida Bar went after divorce lawyer Steven Miller, who ran these provocative ads that insult overpriced downtown lawyers and promise to help clients “rid themselves of that vermin [they] call a spouse.” According to this story (3/27/07), when Miller submitted his ad for…