OBLIC news, events and updates.

OBLIC continues to monitor the developing use of AI for lawyers. A recent advisory opinion from Florida provides guidance. The Florida Bar of Governors’ Review Committee on Professional Ethics issued Advisory Opinion 24-1 Regarding Lawyers’ Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence in January 2024. Advisory Opinion 24-1 concludes that ethical use of generative AI is permissible, […]

Following our OBLIC Alert on the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA), inquiring minds contacted OBLIC with questions. This Alert will address the questions we received to date. FinCEN information and resources were used for this Alert. Please keep in mind that the CTA reporting requirement became effective on January 1, 2024. Information on the FinCEN website […]

The Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) is part of the Anti-Money Laundering Act provisions in the NDAA of 2021 (National Defense Authorization Act). Beginning January 1, 2024, the CTA requires a business entity, defined as “reporting company,” that is not exempt, to report information on their “beneficial owners” (beneficial owner information – BOI) with the Financial […]

In the last 20 years, employment-related lawsuits have increased by 400% and lawsuits for wrongful termination have increased 260%. Shifts in cultural expectations coupled with insufficient re-education have also led to an increase in complaints of harassment, hostility in the workplace, and inappropriate behavior between business contacts who are not necessarily employees. Business owners are […]

In our final OBLIC Update on AI for 2023, we’ll first consider some updates on recent developments in the realm of generative AI touching the legal industry. We then round out this fourth installment with practical guidance on deploying these tools in your law practice.   Administrative Regulation of Generative AI  Attention is being paid in […]

The holidays are just around the corner! So it’s a good time for cybersecurity reminders. Scammers typically take advantage of this time of year when they know everyone is busy and more vulnerable to phishing emails and social engineering threats. Be aware of the fraudulent check scam. Scammers have refined their technique on this. The […]

There’s no doubt that online reviews may influence prospective clients. While savvy consumers may be able to discern between reviews posted by legitimately unhappy consumers and those that may be unfairly retaliatory, your online reputation is highly valuable and worth protecting. Since it may be unlikely that negative reviews will be removed (even if untrue), […]

OBLIC Loss Prevention & Ethics HOTLINE provides complementary loss prevention information and resources for OBLIC policyholders. If your inquiry requires special expertise or legal advice about a specific matter in ethics, we can set up an ethics consult with outside ethics counsel. In addition to the Ethics Hotline, our Loss Prevention team produces weekly articles […]

In August, the American Bar Association’s Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility issued Formal Opinion 508 on the Ethics of Witness Preparation. The Standing Committee suggests that a certain degree of witness preparation should be a standard in most areas of practice; however, there are ethical lines, some clearer than others, on how far […]

On October 6, 2023, the Ohio Board of Professional Conduct issued three new opinions. These nonbinding advisory opinions provide Ohio lawyers with answers to hypothetical or prospective questions from the bench and bar:  OPINION 2023-09 Opposing Counsel’s Preparation of Application to Settle a Minor’s Claim  OPINION 2023-10 Lawyer’s Obligation When Letter of Protection Issued to […]