Chandler Law

235 articles published
georgia-state-capitol

How to Best Deal with State Bar Disciplinary Matters – Part 4

What to expect if the complaint against you ends up in front of the Georgia Supreme Court. Part 1 of this series discussed the initial response to a Bar complaint, and Part 2 covered what to expect if the complaint is assigned to the Investigative Panel. Part 3 reviewed ways to minimize the chances of receiving a Bar complaint. This final installment covers what happens if a bar complaint makes it to the big show – the Georgia Supreme Court.

Establishing Attorney-Client Privilege Within Your Own Firm – Part 2

Learning some lessons from the recent Hunter Maclean v. St. Simons Waterfront appeal. How do you protect your internal firm communications from discovery in a legal malpractice case? The recent Hunter Maclean opinion by the Georgia Court of Appeals provides at least a little direction after so many courts around the country have issued differing opinions.  Part 1 of this article presented some background information along with suggested ways to avoid conflicts of interest.
disciplinary_matters

How Best to Deal with State Bar Disciplinary Matters – Part 1

Responding to Bar Complaints. Receiving a Bar complaint can be one of the most traumatic experiences in an attorney’s professional career. I’ve spent a lot of time writing about how to avoid Georgia State Bar complaints, but what do you do if you receive one? How you respond, and the type of assistance you seek, is absolutely critical in minimizing the disruption as well as disposition.

Douglas Chandler Helps Lead ICLE Mentoring Seminar on Legal Ethics, Publishes White Paper

Douglas Chandler of Chandler Law LLC, along with Aubrey Smith of ProAssurance, presented at the August 2012 Institute of Continuing Legal Education (ICLE) Group Mentioning session. The focus of the interactive presentation was Professional Liability and Bar Complaints: Preventing, Covering and Resolving Issues.
legalmalpractice

Establishing Attorney-Client Privilege Within Your Own Firm – Part 1

Learning some lessons from the recent Hunter Maclean v. St. Simons Waterfront appeal. How do you protect your internal firm communications from discovery in a legal malpractice case? The answer begins when you first believe that your firm has received a threat of a possible claim. The recent Hunter Maclean opinion provides at least a little clarification after so many different court opinions across the country.
conflicts

New Georgia Bar Rules Regarding Conflicts of Interest

An ABA study on legal malpractice claims from several years ago found that the majority of money paid to plaintiffs involved cases with conflicts of interest. Conflicts allow the fact finder (judge or jury) to award attorneys’ fees, punitive damages and a disgorgement of fees paid to the liable lawyer. Worse yet, these types of damages are usually not covered by a lawyer’s errors and omissions insurance policy.