It is clear that today's business and governmental environment involves increasing regulatory scrutiny, including the recent passage of substantial legislation directly affecting professionals, as well as a groundswell of litigation against lawyers, accountants and other professionals stemming from a volatile business climate. Amidst these developments, professionals are required to make more independent decisions and exercise a greater degree of judgment than ever before, heightening liability concerns. In addition, courts and regulators also have become increasingly willing to impose expanded duties, with attendant liabilities, on the professional and business fiduciary. In today's and tomorrow's world, there is no question that effective legal representation for professionals is not only critical, but essential. Duane Morris has a long history of providing such effective legal representation for the professional, before litigation and in it.
Range of Services
Duane Morris provides counseling, representation and advocacy services to a wide range of professionals and businesses in areas including:
- attorney and judicial professional responsibility and legal malpractice
- accountant liability
- actuary liability
- insurance agent and broker errors and omissions litigation
- liability of business and financial planners and consultants
- real estate agent and broker liability
- securities brokers' and consultants' responsibilities under applicable laws and regulations
- cases and investigations prompted by state and federal regulators in insolvencies of regulated businesses
- civil and criminal RICO exposure
- insurance implications and risks associated with professional liability
The firm has a long history of counseling individuals, professionals, small businesses and major corporations on issues unique to their professional and business endeavors. By drawing on the depth and breadth of substantive areas of practice throughout the firm, members of the Professional Liability Group collaborate with other Duane Morris lawyers to respond to the particular needs of professionals facing potential licensing or liability risks and concerns.
A brief description of some of our services for particular professions follows:
Services for Lawyers and Judges
Enjoying a long history of being "lawyers' lawyers," Duane Morris has advised and represented judges, inside corporate counsel, private practitioners, law firms and lawyer liability insurance carriers in a myriad of matters, including risk management in the area of malpractice claims.
We have represented clients in cases involving complex constitutional separation of powers issues and high-profile securities and taxation disputes involving "cutting edge" third-party liability principles. Our services as defense counsel for lawyers and law firms accused of professional negligence span many years and all areas of law. We have served as counsel to the Pennsylvania Conference of State Trial Judges, represented judges before state boards in Delaware, rendered legal opinions to malpractice insurers and practitioners on insurance coverage matters and defended lawyers against disciplinary and malpractice claims.
Our attorneys have counseled law firms and both inside corporate counsel and outside lawyers on professional ethics and liability issues in connection with conflicts, discovery, reporting offenses, multistate practices, advertising, professional relationships with public officials, Rule 11 sanction orders and many other issues. In addition, we advise law firms on a variety of employment matters, including employment discrimination, sexual harassment and partnership and compensation procedures and decisions. We have also counseled law firms in connection with separation arrangements with former partners.
Duane Morris lawyers actively contribute to published literature on malpractice issues, ethics, professionalism and other issues of interest to lawyers, law firms and lawyer liability insurers. Likewise, a number of our attorneys are frequent guest speakers and faculty members for law schools, bar associations and other professional organizations on subjects concerning professional responsibility and lawyer liability.
Many of our attorneys are approved faculty members and panelists at continuing legal education courses sponsored by the Center on Professionalism, American Law Institute and American Bar Association, and bar associations throughout the country. Several of the firm's lawyers serve on bar association committees that address professional issues, such as certification of attorney specialists, ethics dilemmas and judicial administration.
Services for Accountants
Duane Morris has represented many large national accounting firms, as well as various regional firms, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the International Federation of Accountants in a variety of matters in a number of different forums. In professional negligence matters, Duane Morris has served as counsel to accounting firms in securities class action lawsuits, as well as suits by acquirers or sellers of business entities, banks and other lenders, bankruptcy trustees and bank and insurance regulators. In addition, we have represented accountants in investigations by professional licensing bodies, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Internal Revenue Service, state and local governmental units and grand juries.
The firm has also counseled accounting firms on questions concerning the unauthorized practice of law, professional standards, business and professional ethics, firm mergers and dissolutions, and retention orders and fee applications in bankruptcy cases and related matters. In addition, we have represented accounting firms or individuals with respect to covenants not to compete, allegations of employment discrimination and other internal governance matters.
Duane Morris partners have also represented clients in accounting-related disputes, such as the proper interpretation of GAAP in acquisition agreements and various tax-related issues.
A number of our lawyers have been involved in the representation of accounting professionals, and we have a great amount of experience that can be applied to any particular matter. The firm's experience in bankruptcy, tax, employment law and criminal defense can also be brought to bear in any situation that so warrants. In addition, several of our partners also hold C.P.A. designations. Moreover, the firm's intimate knowledge of the terms and application of professional liability policies, directors' and officers' insurance policies, and fidelity policies has been especially helpful in particular representations.
Services for Actuaries
Today, more and more key financial and funding transactions depend upon actuaries. In particular, actuaries play an important role in the administration and funding of ERISA pension benefit plans and retiree medical benefit plans. Duane Morris has been involved in counseling actuaries on questions concerning ERISA compliance, minimum funding requirements, fiduciary responsibility and prohibited transactions.
Services for Business and Financial Planners and Consultants
Financial planners and consultants who provide comprehensive financial advice and strategic business planning services to individuals and businesses find themselves increasingly at risk in potential contemporary business disputes, regulatory investigations and similar matters. Duane Morris lawyers counsel and defend these professionals within the context of diverse settings in which their planning or consultative services may be challenged or questioned.
Services for Insurance Industry Professionals
Duane Morris attorneys provide thorough, sophisticated risk analysis for insurers, in addition to providing creative input toward the development of new insurance programs and coverages. We also provide pre-underwriting risk assessments for a variety of professional organizations and insurers. Our attorneys regularly provide formal and informal risk management seminars and advice to industry professionals.
Our attorneys also defend insurance agents and brokers in all types of contract and negligence actions and actions alleging fraud. Our lawyers represent major insurance brokerage firms, as well as independent insurance agencies, and counsel and represent agents and brokers on behalf of all types and sizes of insurance carriers. Our knowledge of the operations of carriers offering all lines of insurance and the regulatory environment in which carriers and their agents and brokers operate gives us valuable perspectives in evaluating, negotiating and defending claims against insurers and insurance professionals.
Services for Real Estate Agents and Brokers
The firm has represented both real estate agents and brokers in matters involving alleged errors and omissions, state licensing and disciplinary issues, unfair competition matters and other instances of alleged unprofessional conduct. Duane Morris also represents real estate agents and brokers in actions brought by purchasers and/or sellers of residential or commercial properties. The firm serves as counsel to title insurance companies, as well as individual realtors and real estate agencies.
Services for Securities Brokers
The firm counsels securities brokers and firms and others on issues ranging from compliance with state and federal securities, regulatory and licensing laws to litigation resulting from customer disputes, industry arbitrations, initial public offerings, mergers, acquisitions and tender offers.
Services for Other Professionals
In addition to the services specified here, Duane Morris represents directors and officers, employers in a range of industries, sports and entertainment management professionals, architects and engineers, physicians and other healthcare professionals.
For more information, please contact Michael J. Silverman, Allison Lane or any of the practice members referenced in the Attorney Listing.