“You’re Fired:” Now What?
By Gary Schons “Wow!” Pete lamented as he walked into his partner Judy’s office. “I just got fired by my client in the Butterfield case.” “Isn’t that the business termination case you’ve worked up...
Author: San Diego County Bar Association
The Closure of This IRS Program May Affect You if You Have Undisclosed Foreign Assets
Do you have undisclosed foreign assets? If so, you’ll need to learn more about the IRS’ decision to terminate its Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Program (OVDP), effective September 28, 2018. Attorney David Foate of Gresham|Savage...
Anatomy of an Engagement Agreement: An Overview of the Ethical and Practical Imperatives Requiring an Agreement
By Charles Berwanger You have done your conflict check and are now ready to undertake the representation of a client. For ethical and practical reasons, that representation should be embodied in a written agreement...
Technology & Social Entrepreneurship: How one firm uses 501(c)(3) status to serve the underserved middle class.
By Mike Finstad In 2014, the American Bar Association (ABA) formed a Commission to study the future of legal services in the United States, and a report released in 2016 (the “2016 Report”) cited...
Preparing for Negotiation: A Novel Concept?
By Linda Barkacs and Craig Barkacs Most people succeed or fail in a negotiation based on how well-prepared they are (or are not!). We adhere to the 80/20 rule – 80% of negotiation is...
Workers’ Compensation: Types of Injuries and Filing a Claim (The Very First Step)
If you have a work-related injury or illness, your employer is required by law to pay for workers’ compensation benefits. Common workplace injuries include: Specific injury events: breaking a bone in a fall, getting...
Social Media Policies for Employees: Lessons from the Sports Industry
By Decker Cady One social media post can spread world-wide in seconds. In that same amount of time, a professional athlete or sports personality can lose thousands, and even millions, with a single post....
Stress Reduction Techniques
Building and maintaining a law practice can be stressful, especially for lawyers who are just starting out. At an SDCBA wellness workshop for lawyers, attorneys-turned psychologists Dr. Dennis Saccuzzo and Dr. Nancy Johnson shared...
Cybersecurity, Client Confidences, and ABA Formal Opinion 477R
By Leah Strickland You work for a boutique firm that handles transactional legal needs. One of the firm’s clients has grown from a successful regional business into a nationwide powerhouse. It has become so...
Expedited Jury Trials: How to Get Your Small Cases in Front of a Jury
By Joshua Bonnici Can a lawyer effectively represent a client with lower-valued claims? The client is nice, cooperative in fact; the facts, straightforward. But the insurance company’s offer barely equals damages — sometimes far...