Practice Area Corner Archives

How to Get Paid By Someone Other Than the Client Under The New Rules of Professional Conduct

Under former Rule of Professional Conduct 3-310, subdivision (F), an attorney could not “accept” compensation from one other than the client unless: “(1) There is no interference with the member’s independence of professional judgment or with the client-lawyer relationship;…

Clarifying Legal Support Roles

The terms “legal secretary”, “legal assistant”, and “paralegal” are sometimes used interchangeably. While most people believe that these legal support roles are very similar, there are actually many differences between the jobs— including what it takes to become one. Because…

Nuggets of Wisdom and Practice Perspective from Senior Small Firm Practitioner David Nied

As a partner of a small firm, I am constantly searching for best practices and pieces of wisdom from successful attorneys and business owners. This article provides insight from David Nied, a senior trial practitioner in the solo and small…

Nas and Kelis: Hip Hop Royalty Battle Custody

Her milkshake may have once brought hip-hop icon Nas (aka Nasir Bin Olu Dara Jones) to the yard, but now he and singer Kelis (aka Kelis Rogers) want nothing to do with each other. The famous couple married in 2005,…

Learn from the Best, Sharpen Your Skills to Become a Mediator

Ron Kelly: Best trainer in all of Northern California from Bar Association of San Francisco on Vimeo. Sign up for this widely acclaimed 40-hour Mediator Certificate training and learn the skills and confidence to resolve almost any dispute in just five days.…

Will Choosing Legal Separation over Divorce Protect Spouse’s Health Insurance Coverage?

While Roseanne Barr has traditionally been the headline maker for her show “Roseanne,” it is now Michael Fishman, who plays youngest son, D.J. Conner, who is in the news. Last year, the show fired Roseanne Barr and renamed the show…

New Attorney Duties When Going To Mediation

On top of the new and revised Rules of Professional Conduct that went into effect on November 1, 2018, if you go to mediation on or after January 1, 2019, you must comply with Evidence Code section 1129. I mediate…

Protect Your Clients: “Digital” Recorded Depositions Revealed

Recently, some agencies offering court reporting services have sent an unlicensed individual to depositions (“digital recorder”) in lieu of a highly trained Certified Shorthand Reporter (CSR) licensed by the Court Reporters Board of California (CRB) to capture a verbatim…

Walter Didn’t Want the Impossible

Walter Permann had the best intentions when he singled out his most loyal employees. He worried his wife couldn’t manage his wire and cable supply firm without him, so he repeatedly told his team: The longtime employees would get distributions…

Update Life Insurance Beneficiary When Updating Spouse

When Jerome Post bought a life insurance policy in 1993, he was looking out for his wife, Angela. He made her his primary beneficiary and his sons from a prior marriage his contingent beneficiaries. In 2014, the couple divorced. Two…

Level Up Your Practice at the Upcoming Third Annual Solo & Small Firm Conference

The Solo & Small Firm Section of the Bar Association of San Francisco will host its third annual Solo & Small Firm Conference: Level Up Your Law Practice. The conference will take place on January 31, 2019 at the Bar…

BASF’s ADR Department Greets Delegation from China

In September, the International Law Institute from Washington, D.C., hosted 25 members of the China Law Society (CLS) on their multi-city tour to consult with representatives from Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) programs. CLS is an academic organization involved in developing,…

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