Ethics for Business Lawyers: Ten Things You Need to Know (On Demand Seminar)

A pre-recorded streaming video replay of the March 2020 webcast, Ethics for Business Lawyers: Ten Things You Need to Know.

Business lawyers have ethics challenges not faced by family or criminal defense lawyers. In the latter case, it is obvious who the client is: it’s the person sitting across the desk from them. For business lawyers, though, identifying the client isn’t that easy. Is the client the business, the board, the officers, or all of them? Not until you’ve identified the client can you determine the extent of your ethical obligations.

This seminar will help eliminate the confusion. Our two well-known experts—Ben DiMuro and Tom Spahn—will provide you with the practicalities of dealing with the following issues:

1. Identifying the “Client” Within the Corporate Entity (especially in a closely held corporation)
2. Identifying the “Client” in a Corporate Family
3. Implications of Client Identification in Stock and Asset Transactions
4. Duty to “Report Up” Corporate Employees’ Misconduct
5. The Duty to “Report Out” Corporate Clients’ Misconduct
6. Confidentiality/Privilege Risks When Communicating Inside Corporations
7. Confidentiality/Privilege Risks When Communicating Outside Corporations
8. Internal Corporate Investigations
9. In-House Lawyers’ Personal Interests
10. Ethics of Hiring Lawyers and Nonlawyers

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

Bernard J. DiMuro, DiMuroGinsberg, PC / Alexandria

Bernard J. DiMuro is the managing partner of the Alexandria law firm of DiMuroGinsberg, PC. He represents clients in complex civil litigation and professional responsibility cases. He was formerly a chairman and member of the Eighth District Grievance Committee and chairman of the Virginia Supreme Court Disciplinary Board. Mr. DiMuro also has been a faculty member of the Virginia State Bar Professionalism Course, a member of the VSB Committee to Study the Code of Professional Responsibility, and a president of the VSB. He assists business clients and their general counsel in litigation management and in the audit of legal fees and legal services.

Thomas E. Spahn, McGuireWoods / McLean

Thomas E. Spahn practices as a commercial litigator with McGuireWoods in Tysons, Virginia.  He was selected as the 2013 metro-Washington, DC "Lawyer of the Year" for "Bet the Company Litigation" by The Best Lawyers in America (Woodward/White, Inc.).  He has served on the ABA Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility, and is a member of the American Law Institute and a fellow of the American Bar Foundation.  Mr. Spahn has written extensively on attorney-client privilege, ethics, and other topics, and has spoken at over 1,400 CLE programs throughout the U.S. and in several foreign countries.  He graduated magna cum laude from Yale University and received his J.D. from Yale Law School.