Q. Wishing to handle it herself, my client has asked me not to pay one of her doctors from the proceeds of her settlement. I never signed anything to guarantee such payment, but I’m afraid that the doctor will claim
The Ills of Medical Bills
Latest from Kramer & Connolly - Page 5
Buying Out of a Grievance
Q. My client has threatened me with a lawsuit and an ethics complaint unless I refund her legal fees. Should I pay her to release these claims?
A. Although a refund may reduce the chances of a lawsuit or grievance,
Billing for Billing
Q. Whenever my client gets a bill, he calls to question each of my time entries, keeping me on the phone for 30-45 minutes each time. May I bill him for this time?
A. Billing for billing questions is itself a
The Power of "No"
Q. After two other lawyers let her down, a sexual harassment victim approached me to fight for fair compensation. I haven’t done these cases before, but she thinks the case is worth millions in light of the #MeToo movement. Should
Law-Man on the Totem Pole
Q. Before leaving, our Chief Legal Officer reported directly to our CEO. Rather than keep counsel in upper management, may we eliminate the position and have our next lawyer report to a manager who works beneath our COO?
A. You may. But the demotion may degrade
Lex Texting Legal Advice
Q. My criminal defense client texted me that he really wants to testify. He’s got loads of priors, and the prosecutor will eat him alive. How can I get my point across so that he stays far away from the
Malware: The Other Virus
Q. Using ransomware, hackers recently locked our firm’s data and demanded bitcoins to release it. It cost us around $10,000 to get our data back. But if our clients find out, we’ll lose a lot more. Must we tell them?
Avoiding Trust
Q. If my clients agree to it in writing, can I avoid the need for a trust account and put their money elsewhere?
A. In theory, this is possible. In practice, if you wish to remain in practice, this may not
What's In Your Wallet?
Q. Unable to take payments in person these days, I may let clients use apps like Paypal and Venmo to pay fees and retainers online. Are such payments allowed?
A. Using these apps to pay fees that you have already earned doesn’t
Fighting for Unicorns
Q. My client, Unicorny Products, wants an immediate restraining order against a counterfeiter that’s currently flooding the market with cheap knock-offs. With all that’s going on in the world, is it wrong for me to seek emergency relief?
A. Not if