Ethical dilemmas: Previous questions

Ethical dilemmas affect every lawyer’s practice. This series of questions and answers appears each month in InsideTrack. The answers, offered by State Bar’s ethics counsel Timothy Pierce, are intended to provide guidance only and are not legal authority. Each situation will depend on the facts and circumstances involved.

• Ethical Dilemmas: Can You Ask a New Associate to Sign a Noncompete Agreement?
• Ethical dilemmas: Can counsel contact former employees?
• Ethical dilemmas: Your client threatens you, now what?
• Ethical dilemmas: When withdrawing is the only option
• Ethical dilemmas: Client loyalties. When the line greys
• Ethical dilemmas: Unhappy client won't pay, and he wants his files
• Ethical dilemmas: Can firm use name of retired and departed or deceased partner?
• Ethical dilemmas: Bargaining against another's misconduct is a no-no
• Ethical dilemmas: Does the firm I’m leaving own my clients?
• Ethical dilemmas: Can a lawyer contact an employee of a represented organization?
• Ethical dilemmas: Lawyer knows of planned false testimony
• Ethical dilemmas: When to cross the line of confidentiality. Is your client's threat credible?
• Ethical dilemmas: Client whereabouts unknown; what to do with trust account funds
• Ethical dilemmas: Representing husband in business matter likely precludes representing spouse in divorce
• Ethical dilemmas: Confidentiality and prospective clients in divorce situations
• Ethical dilemmas: How long must I hold files?