by Traverse Legal, reviewed by Enrico Schaefer - March 17, 2005 - I Quit!
As time moves forward, my old firm seems to be struggling with certain basic ethical concepts. Their overall approach to virtually every issue that arises is centered around ownership of clients. In the last two months, I have not heard a single word about protecting any client interests. They apparently told one client that they had no choice but to stay with the firm because the retainer contract with was the firm. If true, this was a major ethical breach. The ethics rules mandate that the client be fully apprised of the situation caused by departure and that the client selects who will represent them moving forward. Law firms which take a ‘client ownership’ view forget that their duty is to protect the client’s interest, and to keep the client fully informed. It is hard to protect the client when you have both hands on your wallet and both eyes fixated on the client files.
I am no longer of counsel with the firm as I had to opt out in order to avoid getting conflicted out of cases. The further I get away from my old job, the more I realize that I should have left sooner. Lawyers who see clients only as money have become all too prevalent. What’s worse is that lawyers who work for such law firms too often rationalize their employment by convincing themselves that they merely watch such behavior from the sidelines.
I know I convinced myself that some of my partner’s attitudes and business models were not my attitudes. What I now realize is that by furthering the firms goals, I was devaluing the very things about the profession which I now strive to protect. Lawyers must demand ethical and professional accountability from their law firms, or leave those firms for more professional pastures. No lawyer can claim to be an innocent bystander when it comes to curing the ills of the legal profession.
Is it any wonder people hold lawyers in such low esteem? Shouldn’t the public have a right to expect more from our profession? As long as lawyers distance themselves from what goes on at their law firms, will necessary changes ever be instituted? Too many questions for today…
Being able to focus on my client’s interests without distraction is an incredible feeling. The clients seem to like it as well…. 🙂
As a founding partner of Traverse Legal, PLC, he has more than thirty years of experience as an attorney for both established companies and emerging start-ups. His extensive experience includes navigating technology law matters and complex litigation throughout the United States.
This page has been written, edited, and reviewed by a team of legal writers following our comprehensive editorial guidelines. This page was approved by attorney Enrico Schaefer, who has more than 20 years of legal experience as a practicing Business, IP, and Technology Law litigation attorney.
