Legal Developments and Risk Management Tips Impacting the Professional Liability Community.
Read the rules. Let’s say it again: Read. The. Rules. On February 16, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit issued a strong reminder to attorneys about the importance of reading the applicable rules of court and admitting a mistake when given the chance. In Promptu Systems Corp. v. Comcast Cable Communications, LLC, …
Goldberg Segalla’s Seth L. Laver, in an article written for Attorney Protective, provides insight to attorneys on proper case-closing procedures. “Best practices mandate that all professionals, notably attorneys, engage in a series of important tasks when closing a file,” said Seth, a partner in the firm’s Management and Professional Liability practice and vice-chair of its Accountants Professional Liability practice. “Poor practices …
A Pennsylvania attorney sued in connection with a workers’ compensation matter was cleared of legal malpractice and the suit against him was dismissed after a court agreed with the arguments put forth by Goldberg Segalla partner Seth L. Laver. The case stemmed from the alleged injuries suffered by a hotel banquet worker who claimed his decade-plus …
Christopher F. Lyon – a partner in the firm’s Management and Professional Liability practice group – co-authored an article in ABA’s The Brief on the transition to remote work pre- and post-pandemic, and the new E&O risks associated with remote work in professional services. The article examines the shift to remote work for professionals including lawyers, insurance brokers, and financial-service …
COVID-19 has changed the practice of law. Whether the changes are permanent or temporary, many have occasioned increased risks of malpractice claims against lawyers and law firms. To help our clients meet these new challenges, Goldberg Segalla has compiled a guide for avoiding and mitigating legal malpractice claims stemming from COVID-19. The link is available …
Hackers have successfully hit at least five US law firms within the past few weeks. Reportedly, the attacks are part of a coordinated effort potentially affecting nearly 200 victims in January alone. As if that were not frightening enough, the threat to law firms and to their clients, has magnified substantially in light of the type of attack now employed against law firms.
Case management is such an important task for litigators. We must plan how best to utilize the allotted and often limited time provided for each case. Some courts set strict case management deadlines while others permit the parties to proceed at their own pace without much direction. We must budget our time in an efficient and reasonable manner. We must also balance our personal commitments with the needs of our clients and that is no easy task. Ultimately, all attorneys have faced scheduling conflicts due to personal commitments: vacations, appointments, and family obligations. What about the birth of a child? The Florida Supreme Court recently considered, and rejected, whether to adapt a policy to stay litigation during an attorney’s parental leave.
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.
Litigation funding has grown exponentially in the past few years. However, the NYC Bar recently issued an opinion drawing a line in the sand when it comes to third parties entering into agreements with attorneys. After issuing its opinion, some of the largest financiers of complex litigation responded with sharp criticism of both the substance of the opinion and its effect of stalling progress in this area. However, the opinion also provides an opening that could lead to the eventual change in ethical rules that underscore its conclusion.
The contingency based fee agreement is a common form of representation. There are clear benefits to this arrangement for both attorney and client. Of course there are also risks. In a recent decision in New Jersey, the court concluded that attorneys must properly advise clients about the various billing options before proceeding with an engagement. In this case, despite a written fee agreement, the court struck over $280,000 in legal fees and costs.