On consecutive days earlier this month both the Massachusetts and Georgia Supreme Courts issued opinions that were great news for law firms that want to consult internally in secret about possible screw-ups they’ve made in their clients’ cases. “This is as good an opinion for law firms as they could possibly expect. It’s a total win,” opined New York University ethics professor Stephen Gillers on the blog LegalEthicsForum.com about the Massachusetts high court opinion this month in RFF Family Partnership v. Burns & Levinson, SJC-11371.
Unfortunately, Gillers was right on the money. But as good a day as it was for law firms, it was an equally bad day for clients who expect loyalty from the firms they employ.
