Legal Ethics

“It’s a wise man who learns from experience, but it’s a wiser man who lets the rattlesnake bite the other fellow.”— Josh Billings

Herring & Panzer has counseled lawyers and law firms–from solo practitioners to law firms with thousands of lawyers–regarding the many intricacies of legal ethics. Our experience includes handling legal ethics issues for both lawyers and nonlawyer clients. Our nonlawyer clients have ranged from individuals and families to multinational corporations.

We’ve seen “rattlesnake-bit” lawyers and clients, and we’ve learned how to avoid many of the professional-responsibility disasters that can befall both lawyers and clients. Here are just a few of the many issues on which we’ve addressed, litigated, and advised lawyers and nonlawyer clients:

  • Litigation conduct issues
  • Confidentiality and communication issues
  • Conflicts of interest
  • Fees
  • Advertising and marketing
  • Unauthorized practice of law
  • Multi-state law practice

Advising Lawyers on Professional Responsibility and Legal Ethics Issue

Law practice can be complicated. Applying legal ethics rules to daily law practice can involve technical, practical, and even financial issues. We monitor ethics rules and trends closely, in Texas and nationally. We offer counsel on such practice matters as:

  • Attorney-client engagement agreements
  • Fee division agreements
  • Arbitration of attorney-client disputes
  • Case acceptance policies
  • Conflicts of interest
  • Attorney disqualification proceedings
  • Judicial recusal proceedings
  • Advertising and marketing issues
  • Client communication issues

Whatever the legal ethics issue, at Herring & Panzer we strive to provide both technical and practical advice to help avoid potential problems and to resolve existing issues and disputes.

Expert Testimony

Chuck Herring has served as an expert witness in lawyer liability, lawyer discipline, and criminal cases. He has been retained by plaintiffs’ counsel, defense counsel, insurance companies, corporate clients, the State Bar of Texas, the Texas Attorney General, district attorneys, city attorneys, and trial and appellate judges.