OBLIC news, events and updates.

Clients who do not pay their bills are the bane of the private practice lawyer. While there is no failproof solution to eliminate the problem, there are steps that lawyers can take to reduce the likelihood that a client will become delinquent on a legal bill. Here are some best practices to bill clients ethically […]

The Ohio Board of Professional Conduct recently issued three new advisory opinions.  Two of the opinions discussed different conflicts situations.  The other opinion considered a lawyer’s notarization of an affidavit of the client. Opinion 2022-04- Imputation of County Prosecuting Attorney’s Former Client and Firm Conflicts to an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney In this Opinion, the Board […]

Attorneys are often asked to serve on corporate or non-profit boards. This can be a fulfilling way to give back to the community, but often there is an expectation that the attorney will provide pro bono legal advice. The dual role of board member and legal advisor creates risks unique to lawyers. Consider the following […]

Phishing Evolution Continues The FBI reported that, in 2016, approximately 20,000 Americans were victims of phishing crimes.  That number has grown every year since, with nearly 324,000 victims of phishing attacks reported in 2021. It is more prevalent than any other cyber-crime and it is one of the top initial infection vectors for ransomware incidents. […]

“Tail” coverage – the Basics: “Tail” insurance or “tail” coverage is shorthand for an Extended Reporting Endorsement. Your OBLIC policy provides coverage on a claims-made and reported basis. This type of policy provides coverage for claims which are made and reported during the applicable policy period of an in-force policy.  Coverage under a claims-made and […]

On April 8, 2022, the Ohio Board of Professional Conduct issued two new Advisory Opinions relating to the conduct of lawyers and judges. Ohio Board of Professional Conduct Opinion 2022-02  Judicial Membership and Leadership in County or State Party Executive Committees, Political Party Clubs, and County Boards of Elections In Opinion 2022-02 the Board of […]

What is “MFA”? Multi-Factor Authentication “MFA,” also known as Two-Factor Authentication, is a process that adds security for password-protected accounts. It requires additional information to access the account in addition to the initial password The three most common authentication factors are the knowledge factor, the possession factor or the inherence factor. Knowledge factor authentication usually […]

We’re revisiting this topic to remind you of important steps you can take to prevent wire fraud. Losses from wire fraud were up 33% in 2021 over 2020. The monetary losses from wire fraud were almost $2.4 billion. With an increase in the number of real estate transactions as well as cyber breaches, this information […]

In April the ABA’s Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility issued a new advisory opinion– Formal Opinion 501. The Opinion addresses impermissible client solicitation by a lawyer and by others acting on a lawyer’s behalf under ABA Model Rule of Professional Conduct 7.3. The ABA Committee recognized that there are many individuals who may […]

This month Microsoft released security updates to address approximately 120 vulnerabilities in Windows and various other Microsoft products. The Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (“CISA”) encourages users and administrators to review the updates and apply them as appropriate. Staying current on security updates is key to protecting you and your firm against cyber-attacks. According to […]