On Tuesday, January 13th, Montage co-owners/founders, Erin Giglia and Laurie Rowen will be speaking at the OCBA’s Corporate Counsel section meeting on “The Ethics of Contract Lawyering.” The presentation will focus on an analysis of the ethical rules that come into play with an in-house legal department utilizes freelance or contract attorneys to assist with legal projects. The presentation will discuss the following:
- Conflicts of Interest: What does an in-house legal department need to know about conflicts of interest when contract/freelance lawyers are working directly or indirectly for them?
- Aiding and Abetting the Unlawful Practice of Law: Does an in-house legal department violate this ethical rule when they utilize contract attorneys from off-shore LPOs?
- Duty of Competence: How can clients avoid what occurred in the J-M Manufacturing Company, Inc. v. McDermott Will & Emery lawsuit with respect to the Duty of Competence?
- Duty to Inform the Client: Do law firms need to tell their general counsel clients when they are using freelance/contract attorneys?
- Fees Billed to Client: Can a law firm upcharge their rates billed to an in-house legal department when using freelance/contract attorneys?
- Duty to Preserve Client Confidences: Are the client’s confidences preserved when a law firm working for an in-house legal department uses freelance/contract attorney for projects?
The presentation, “The Ethics of Contract Lawyering,” will be held at The Pacific Club located at 4110 MacArthur Blvd. in Newport Beach, CA from noon to 1:30 PM. One Hour of Elimination of Bias MCLE Credit is available. To register, visit the link here: Corporate Counsel Meeting 1.13.15. [Please note: Only in-house counsel are permitted to register and attend this event.]
Date: Tuesday, January 13, 2015
When: 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM
Where: The Pacific Club located at 4110 MacArthur Blvd. in Newport Beach, CA
Register: Download the flyer here: Corporate Counsel Meeting Registration Flyer
For more information about the ethics of contract/freelance lawyering as it relates to corporate counsel legal departments, please contact Laurie and Erin at [email protected]