Malpractice and Ethics Risks of Practicing Law in an Uncertain Economy

Law firms are, in many ways, no different than any other business, and during an uncertain economy will feel financially stressed, just like any other business. This can lead lawyers to act and operate differently than they have in the past, but because law firms are different from other business in many respects, lawyers must know the ethics and malpractice risks associated with practicing in an economically troubled environment.

Agenda

The Quiz – Ten questions and ten answers probing real-life scenarios that if handled wrong, can create a cascading pattern of unintended professional risks for lawyers.

The Economy and Legal Malpractice – “Historically, the volume of malpractice claims against lawyers rises during economic downturns.” - Michael Furlong, Senior Vice President in the legal business division of Swiss Re. Highlighting this section is a discussion on what every lawyer needs to know, and be implementing in their practice NOW, to protect themselves what from experts say is an increased risk for being sued in malpractice, including:

Methods for Effective Client Communication Protecting Your Practice From Risky Clients and Cases Advertising Pitfalls Risks Associated with Co-Counsel and Office Sharing Arrangements Avoiding Risks Lawyers Create for Themselves – From Basic E-mail Disclaimers to that Potential Malpractice Black Hole You Call Your Website