Jay Reeves practiced law in North Carolina and South Carolina. He was Legal Editor at Lawyers Weekly and Risk Manager at Lawyers Mutual. He is the author of The Most Powerful Attorney in the World, a collection of short stories from a law life well-lived, which as the seasons pass becomes less about law and liability and more about loss, love, longing, laughter and life's lasting luminescence.
The most frequent complaint clients have about their lawyer is not lack of competence or losing at trial. It’s poor communication. “[F]ailure to keep a client adequately informed is far and above the number one complaint clients have,” says Lawyers Mutual claims attorney Will Graebe. &ldqu… Read More
Are you too busy taking care of your current clients to devote sufficient time, resources and energy to attracting new ones? If so, you’re not alone. Lots of solo and small firm lawyers feel overwhelmed. The mere thought of adding another item to their daily to-do list is deflating. And yet, if you do… Read More
Missed deadlines were the leading cause of malpractice claims in 2021. Many claims involved blown statutes of limitation. Others involved missed discovery deadlines and lapsed summonses. That’s according to 2021 claims statistics from Lawyers Mutual. “In 2021, litigation errors constituted one-… Read More
Your worst nightmare has become reality: you discover your law firm database has been breached and sensitive information has been compromised. What’s the first thing you should do? If you had the foresight to prepare an Incident Response Plan – even if it’s just a single page of action ite… Read More
How would you define the phrase Thought Leadership? Would you include qualities like credibility, sincerity and authenticity? Intelligence, expertise and experience? And which comes first – the thinking or the leading? Those were the topics of discussion at the March 2022 meeting of the Leading Law Rou… Read More
Do you consider yourself a good crisis manager? Want to become a better one? Start by honing your communication skills. When the sky is falling, the ability to articulate a path to safety in a clear, calm and consistent manner is essential. Another key: be a good collaborator. “Crisis teams are like … Read More
An attorney representing the buyer in a residential real estate closing cannot charge a separately represented seller for services that primarily benefit the buyer unless certain conditions are met. But the closing attorney may charge the seller for services that primarily benefit the seller, provided the se… Read More
For attorneys in private practice, managing their Client Trust Account is, by and large, a thankless task. It’s also a critical one. All attorneys who maintain a Client Trust Account are subject to random and for-cause audits by the State Bar. When the auditor comes calling, they’ll examine the … Read More
This is the story of a young basketball fan, a perfect season that ended in heartbreak, and a mother who kept things real. Tucked in there like a cross-hand dribble is a little message about law, life and what really matters in both. Read More
In this age of virtual communication and digital media, don’t overlook the value of old-fashioned law firm letterhead. Letterhead that is unique, professional and consistent with your firm’s other design elements (business card, website, logo, etc.) will reinforce your brand and enhance the clien… Read More
If you consider yourself an entrepreneur – or if you represent startups and entrepreneurial ventures – you’ve come to the right place. This post will recommend a beach-bag full of terrific entrepreneurial books to add to your summer reading list. Such as Crushing It: How Great Entrepreneur… Read More
Why settle for being a good lawyer when – with a little extra effort – you can become a top lawyer? Top lawyers don’t just represent clients. They get to know their clients. They form collaborative alliances. And they select cases and clients they care about. “If you’re not per… Read More
The next time a client says “Thank you” for doing a good job, think twice before reflexively replying, “You’re welcome.” Consider saying “My pleasure” instead. It has worked out pretty well for Chick-fil-A and Ritz-Carlton Hotels. “Two decades ago, Chick-fil-A… Read More
Even if you shun social media and have no interest in pay-per-click campaigns, you should at least take the time to update your Google My Business profile. This post will show you how to do it in five easy steps. What is Google My Business? “When a user searches for a business by name, and that busin… Read More
This year for my birthday I gave myself the gift of hernia surgery. I cannot say it was the most fun gift ever, but still, I am grateful. Technically what I had was an Inguinal Hernia Repair – the awful name suggests the unpleasantness of the procedure – and I came away with not only a reinforced abdominal wall but also some valuable Law Lessons and the World’s Best BLT Sandwich. Here’s hoping this story will add a little brightness to Your Law Life too. Read More
For lawyers handling real estate closings, it’s important to know that seller fraud continues to rise, especially with the upcoming holiday season when distractions are high, and fraudsters are active.
Lawyers Mutual has published previous alerts regarding the new filing requirements under the Corporate Transparency Act (“CTA”) that went into effect January 1, 2024. After reviewing additional resources, we want to emphasize concerns that we have about the risks and increased potential liability for lawyers undertaking the reporting requirements. This is especially true for the continuing reporting requirements after entity formation and initial reporting.